The Tome (A Septiplier Story)
by Azaarus
Summary: Mark and his brother Tom are bibliophiles (book lovers), and they own Morpheus' Dream, an antique occult book store and rare book research center. Jack, recently hired by Tom, may be the only one that can help Mark when he unwittingly unleashes an unknown entity into the world by reading from an ancient tome. Mark will soon realize that there is more to Jack than meets the eye.
1. Written in the Stars

_The story is written from Mark's Point of View._

* * *

I didn't know what else to do.

So I ran.

I ran as fast and as far as my strong legs would take me. It was dark, but the stars were twinkling in the sky like a million diamonds, lighting and guiding my way. I remember them, those brilliant stars.

I was clutching a book, wrapped in a dark, heavy cloth and tied up with a thin bit of leather. The book felt heavy as I cradled it in my arm. The rain had stopped not too long ago, so the pavement was wet and full of puddles. I didn't care that my shoes were getting soaked, I just needed to get out of there.

I got into my car and sped off, having no intention of going home. Once I put enough distance between myself and the horrors I had justwitnessed, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Tom.

"Morpheus' Dream, this is Tom"...

"Tom! It's Mark! Dude, I have something you need to see. I am on my way, I will be there in about 20 minutes".

"Mark? What's wrong? You sound... out of breath. Everything OK?"

"For now, yeah. I was running. Just... please don't leave the store yet. I'm really glad you are still there actually."

"Why the hell were you running? Uh, I wasn't leaving any time soon anyway, we just got the shipment in this afternoon from Rome, looks like some of these are actually authentic! There's this one with the original binding and..."

"TOM! LISTEN! I am in some shit, I will be there in a bit! You can tell me all about the books later!"

"Shit. OK, sorry. You know how I get. See you when I see you. Bye."

"Bye!"

Tom is my brother, and he and I own Morpheus' Dream, a rare book store, specializing in the occult and various religions. I immediately knew if anyone could help me, it was my brother. No one knows more about the authenticity of rare books than Tom, and he could tell me what this book and I have just... done.

I got to the store and pulled into the back, away from the parking lot. For some reason I actually felt like I was in real danger and I needed to stay hidden. Little did I know, I had no need to hide. I could be found as long as that book was with me. It was like some kind of demonic GPS.

I walked into the store from the back door, then turned and locked it as soon as I was inside. I was immediately greeted with a lovely, familiar smell, one that comforted and soothed me, like a mother's embrace. Old leather. Old paper. Old glue. The smells of the store were musty and kind of sweet, a little damp,and very reassuring. I felt like I was home.

The book store was our dad's idea. Dad always loved old books. He was always examining them while wearing white cotton gloves, and a magnifying glass hanging down from some silly looking hat he seemed to have forever. He worked with old books our whole lives, and taught us everything we know about ancient tomes. He wanted to open and run an antique book store, but unfortunately he passed away shortly after he bought the building. Tom and I were fortunate enough to know enough about books and business to actually make dad's dream come true.

"Mark! I have been looking for you all day! You haven't answered my texts, and Tom said he has been messaging you since the Rome shipment came in! Where have you been?"

"Sorry, Lyric..." was all I could muster. I was still breathing heavily, my red locks falling into my eyes as I lowered my head. Lyric is my sister-in-law, but I consider her my sister. She is very warm and caring, and she has been married to Tom for 2 years, although they were high school sweethearts. It seems they have been in love forever, and what they share is something out of a fairy tale. Not that I would know what that is like. I have been through a string of very nasty break-ups and have a long line of really shitty ex-boyfriends. I can't seem to find anyone that understands me.

"Ok, ok, well anyway, now that you are here, you can finally meet the guy your brother hired to help us with the Rome workload and see what we got in."

"Lyric, I really need to talk to Tom..."

We started walking toward the middle of the large building, toward the enormous work station. Book shelves lined every wall in the place, and the burgundy carpets and cherry wood bookshelves complimented one another. A hint of yellow was thrown off of 4 tremendous chandeliers, giving the large room a soft, antique glow. Bright, modern work lamps lined the work station, along with magnifying glasses, piles of old, leather bound books, a few pair of gloves, and cabinets with drawers filled with tools and equipment needed for identifying, authenticating, and repairing old books. Four laptops were spread out across the workstation.

Something immediately caught my eye, something different. A person, sitting at one of the work stations. His head was down, looking closely at the engraving on the back of some book, his nose just inches away from the rich, brown leather, his hair a bright green, bright enough to counter the shock of red on top of my own head.

"Mark, I would like you to meet Jack" Lyric said with a huge, knowing smile on her face, as we walked closer to the work station. My heart started pounding... Why? I hadn't even seen his face, but I was close enough to smell a swirling and enchanting mix of soap, shampoo, clean laundry and... him. I felt my face redden and I turned my head just as Lyric said "Jack, this is Mark, your _other_ boss".

Immediately I felt myself swoon a little and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face as soon as I heard a surprisingly loud, Irish brogue say "Really?! ANOTHER boss? Isn't two enough? Hahaha" He lifted his head, and I could see a giant smile on his face. That's when our eyes met.

His eyes. My god, I will never forget that moment.

His eyes were like sapphires, and because of the lighting at the work stations his pupils were like pin pricks, allowing an enormous amount of the blue in his eyes to sparkle. I could immediately see mischief in his eyes, and his laughter was like music floating about in the huge, open area. His eyes were crinkled at the corners from his laughter, and his smile never faded, even when his eyes locked with mine. In fact, I could swear his smile got bigger.


	2. Jack Can Help

Tom came walking out of the back room, just in time to see Jack and I locked in our first gaze. A smile spread across his face.

"I see you've met Jack." Tom said through a smile, holding back a laugh.

My brother knew me, alright. Did this asshole just hire some random dude off the street just because he knew my type? No way, he cared too much about the books for that.

"Jack is one of the best," Tom said, like he was reading my thoughts. "I had to fly him here from Ireland and pay for his hotel until he decides if he wants to stay here and work for us."

This snapped me out of my own head. "Hotel? Oh, uhhh, how is that working out for you?"

"It's alright," Jack said, still smiling, but now looking down at the book again with red cheeks. "It isn't very homey, though. I must say, the store here has more comforts than the hotel."

"Well, just let me know if you need anything. If my brother wants you to work for us, you must be good at what you do..." I was staring hard as those words left my lips.

"I am," Jack replied, looking back at me, right into my eyes. "I am _very_ good at what I do," then he winked at me, and wet his lips with the tip of his tongue.

The whole conversation with Jack made me forget the real reason I got here so late. "Tom, I need you to look at this book" I said, as I started unwrapping it from the cloth cover. Tom pulled a pair of glasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on. I set the book down at the work station next to Jack, and Tom sat down.

Tom started examining the leather cover of the book, the etched lettering and drawings engraved into the rich leather. "Fascinating" Tom whispered, and I could see Jack peering over Tom's shoulder. Jack squatted out of his chair and knelt down next to Tom, right in front of me. He pulled a pair of gloves on his hands, and began to gently run his fingers across the textures on the front of the book.

There was a leather band with what seemed to be a lock on the book, which Tom nor Jack could open. "That's strange, I was able to open it with no problem earlier when..." I stopped myself when everyone stopped to listen to what I was about to say. I reached down and tugged at the leather strap that had the book locked. "I swear this was open earlier!" I told them. It didn't matter, it was locked now, and it would take some research to unlock it. Hell, we didn't even know what the book was!

"I have seen this writing before," Jack announced. "It is Enochian, a name often applied to an occult or angelic language."

"I've heard of Enochian!" I exclaimed, "From what I understand, it is extremely powerful and can be dangerous".

"Yes," Jack said.

"So, do any of you know what this is?" I asked.

"No, I would need more time, and I would have to look at it more closely. It has to be opened to find out more." Tom said.

"Uhhh... Sorry, I would have to do more research as well," Jack said abruptly, almost as if he were hiding something, "and it is getting pretty late. I am still on Dublin time, and sadly, the coffee is no longer doing the job anymore."

"Yeah, I guess it is pretty late," Tom said to everyone, standing up. "Let's go home."

"I'm not ready to call it a night just yet. I'm going to stay here for a while." I said to Tom.

"OK, just don't forget to lock up, and if you end up sleeping here, make sure you make coffee in the morning."

The store has a small apartment upstairs that we would use sometimes, when we were here late doing research and we lost track of time, or when I would fight with an ex and I didn't want to be found. There is a small kitchen area, a couch and a little bedroom that Lyric has made very cozy.

"Would you mind terribly if I stayed here with you for a while?" Jack asked.

"Yeah... urm, I mean no... Ugh, that's fine!" I stumbled over my words. What the hell was wrong with me?!

* * *

Tom and Lyric gathered their things and we said our goodbyes, Tom and Lyric all smiles, and me stumbling around nervously. I walked them out the front door, Tom yelling "BE SAFE!" as I shoved him out, hissing "shuddup!" through gritted teeth and locked the door behind them, hoping Jack didn't hear him. I flipped the 'OPEN' sign to 'CLOSED', took a deep breath, and walked back to the work stations where Jack was.

When I got there he was still looking at the book, his brows furrowed. He looked concerned.

"Do you know what this stain is on here? It looks like blood, which wouldn't surprise me if it were old, but this looks fresh. You said something happened earlier. Does this have anything to do with that?"

I just looked at him, not knowing what to say. I didn't know him, I didn't want to tell this guy something that I would regret, but I also wanted to tell someone, _anyone_ , what happened.

"Yeah, it is blood, and it has everything to do with what happened. When I had the book earlier, the lock wasn't locked..."

"And you read from it?"

"Yeah. I read from it."

* * *

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I walked to a chair and sat next to Jack. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"Yep. Sure do. And you have gotten yourself into a fuckton of trouble, my friend."

"Well, I imagine there isn't anything I can do about it right now, so we may as well forget it for now and we can start fresh tomorrow." I ran my hand through my messy red hair.

"Okay then," Jack said, standing up. This was the first time I actually saw him stand, and I tried to catch a glimpse of his ass... but he caught me.

"Mark, were you checking out my butt?!" he said loudly with a smile on his face, as if there were someone there to hear him.

Although no one was there to hear him, I still stammered over my words, and I could feel the red spreading across my cheeks.

"I.. uhhh... NO! Psh whadda ya thi... pffff... whaaa... NoooOOOOO!"

"It's okay, Mark. I'm not stupid, and I'm not blind. I can see the way you look at me. Don't worry, I know what you feel. I can feel it too," Jack said quietly, no longer smiling, but looking into my eyes very seriously. Jack walked over to me and gently touched my arm. "I would like to get to know you better."

My face softened. "I would love that, Jack. There is a small apartment upstairs. Would you like to go up and talk?"

"Yeeh! Jack nodded his head and smiled. Yeah... let's go talk." Jack's smile widened.


	3. It Happened So Fast

We got upstairs and Jack set his backpack in a corner and found his way to the couch. I closed and locked the door. No one except Tom and Lyric know we were there, but that book was downstairs, and although I locked the book in the safe, I still felt really exposed. I was really glad Jack was there with me, he knew what the book was and he didn't seem nervous at all, but after what happened, I couldn't help it.

"We have some drinks and snacks, would you like something?" I asked.

"Anything with caffeine would be great!" Jack yelled from the small room with the couch and TV. I brought up one of the laptops and set it on a small table, then started brewing a pot of coffee.

When the coffee was done, I brought Jack a cup, and had one of my own. I sat next to him on the couch, and as he sipped his coffee, I started asking him how he found out about our store.

"It was a 'friend of a friend' thing. A girl I went to college with knows Lyric. They were talking and Lyric mentioned they needed an antiquarian bibliophile, and I was the first person she thought of!" He set his cup on the small table, and I did as well. "She gave Lyric my email, and Tom emailed me, telling me about the Rome collection. He told me when it would arrive, I was interested, and he got me a plane ticket. It all happened in a matter of a day!"

"Wow. No wonder I didn't know about it. They have been trying to contact me, but I have been so immersed in that damn book, I didn't know anything about it. I'm sorry I wasn't involved in getting you here."

"You are involved now," Jack said to me, looking deeply into my eyes. I looked down, slightly shy all of a sudden, but I don't know why. "Yeah, I guess I am," I managed to whisper. Jack placed his fingers under my chin and lifted my face. Our eyes connected for a brief second before he leaned in and placed his soft lips over mine.

Instinctively, my eyes closed, as I'm sure his did. I didn't bother to look, instead I melted into the moment. It felt so perfect. I felt his hand drape around my waist and I shifted my weight to move my body closer to him. My hand drifted to the side of his face, where it rested on his scruffy jaw. I let my fingers linger for a moment before they moved to his neck. I started breathing slightly heavier when he parted his lips and felt his tongue dance with mine, his hand on my waist, pulling me closer.

When our first kiss came to an end, I couldn't help but to swoon. I had never had that perfect kiss, that perfect moment. All of my encounters started at a club or a party and ended with drunken, sweaty, regretful times that were too rough or too awkward. Some of them tried to make it work, but most didn't. Some stuck around long enough to declare an official 'dating' status, but they never lasted long. I am a hard man to understand. I crave knowledge and intellect, I crave tender moments and laughter. I crave something real. I longed for that perfect moment, and I finally found it, here, in the safe little haven my loving and accepting father longed to create for my brother and I.

"Wow. That was..."

"Amazing?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Perfect was more of what I was looking for. But yes, amazing as well." I smiled and felt my eyes soften when I looked at him.

"I like perfect," Jack whispered, and leaned in to press his parted lips against mine again.

* * *

The sun was shining right onto my face through a small part in the curtains, waking me up. I was quite confused, because if I ever sleep at the store, I always sleep in the bed, and I am always alone. The bright sun prevented me from opening my eyes, and when I tried to move, I felt that I was tangled up in someone else. Who? What happened? I was awake immediately, and remembered what happened the night before. I looked down to see a floof of green hair pressed against my bare chest, and everything came back to me in a flood of wonderful memories. I smiled as I ran my fingers through Jack's hair and down the side of his scruffy cheek.

"Wake up... hey..." I whispered, stroking his scruffy face, and feeling him stir against my chest and belly. His sapphire eyes looked up at me, sparkling brilliantly in the sliver of sunlight that came peeking in. "Hey, you..." Jack whispered, as he untangled himself from my limbs and sat up. He rubbed his face and reached for his shirt. Both of us were bare-chested but we still had our jeans on.

I stood up and wandered into the small kitchen to make some coffee. I heard the bathroom door close, and the shower turn on. I also saw Jack's backpack was gone. When he came out, his hair was wet, and he was wearing fresh clothes. I was halfway through my first cup of coffee when he finally appeared.

"Sorry, I don't do mornings well," Jack mumbled, picking up the cup of coffee I poured for him. I went into the small bedroom to gather some things and went to grab a shower myself. When I came out wearing nothing but my fresh jeans, Jack was smiling at me.

"You look much more awake now," I said to him.

"Yeah, have to get a shower and some caffeine in the morning before I am agreeable," Jack chirped. "Top O' the morning to ya, Markimoo!" I couldn't help but to throw my head back and roar out in laughter.


	4. Out in the Open

I could hear voices and movement downstairs, which meant one thing- Tom and Lyric were at the store.

"We better get ready to go to work," I said to Jack.

"Yeah, but before we go, I have to do one thing," he said

"Oh? And what would that be?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This" Jack said, as he moved to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, placing his lips upon mine. I could have lost myself in his embrace forever. I let myself melt into him. With each passing moment, I wanted more and more for this to last forever and less and less to have to go down and face the real world, the truth, the realities of what happened last night with the book, before Jack entered my life and became my world. I stopped myself from thinking about it and allowed myself to be lost within Jack.

"MARK? JACK?" I could hear Tom yelling up the stairs. My car was still here so I'm sure he knew we didn't leave last night. Jack and I hastily pulled away from each other as I called out "be down in a minute!" I grabbed the pot of coffee that I made earlier and headed downstairs, Jack following close behind me. Before we turned the corner, Jack planted a lingering kiss on the back of my neck, sending shivers up my spine.

"Good morning!" Lyric said to us, smirking with a little sideways smile. "Did you two have a good night?"

"It was good," I mumbled to her, throwing a sideways glance at Jack. I could see the little smile curling up on his lips, and it didn't get past Tom or Lyric, and soon everyone was smiling, making little 'uhhh huhh' noises with a hint of knowing, passing glances to everyone else. Soon all of us erupted into laughter, but it wasn't an awkward laughter... It was more of a 'I'm glad this all worked out and we are glad for you' laughter. Lyric and Tom seemed genuinely happy for us. Their glances toward one another, winks and smiles told me as much.

Now that all that awkwardness was out of the way and they knew there was an immediate connection between Jack and I, we could get down to business and not have the awkward period looming over our heads or having to run and hide in the shadows, like every other guy I dated. Tom, like my dad, has always been very accepting. They wanted me to be happy, and my brother knows me better than anyone. Having to hide had never been for my benefit, but for the guy I was dating. The majority of guys I dated had not come out yet, and to their families, we were friends, best buddies, whatever, even if my family already knew the truth.

* * *

I went to the safe and got my book, feeling its energy trickle into my fingertips. I brought it out and set it down. I unwrapped it and began to run my fingers over the worn leather cover, trailing my fingertips over the clasp that locked the book up tight. I heard a slight _snick_ and the lock popped open.

"Jack!" I whispered "JACK! I opened the book!"

"How? What did you do?" he asked me, as he pulled a chair up next to me.

"I dunno! I just kind of touched the lock, like this," and I trailed my fingertips over his palm, and I could visibly see him shiver, his eyes half closed for a split second, seeming to enjoy every moment of my touch. It made me smile.

Jack watched as I slowly opened the cover. The pages fluttered open, as if there were a breeze in the shop. I rubbed my eyes, unbelieving of what I saw... what I heard... the pages were emitting a soft glow, and I swear I heard that book whispering.

* * *

I looked over to Jack and his eyes were wide. His face showed something that I thought was excitement and wonder, mixed with a small amount of fear. The book opened to a specific page, then stopped immediately, like something you would see in a horror movie.

"My god, I never thought I would see this actually happening in front of me!" Jack said, his eyes wide.

"Do you know what it is?" I asked him.

"I know exactly what it is. This is the _Ars Almadel_ , Book Four of the _Lesser Key of Solomon,_ also known as the _Lemegeton_ , a significant grimoire of demonology compiled in the 17th century by an unknown author. This particular book of the Legemeton provides a blueprint for constructing an Almadel—a magical wax altar, somewhat like a ouija board, that allows the reader to communicate with angels, among other things. This book is evil, Mark" he said, looking directly into my eyes.

"It draws evil" he continued. "Don't let the mention of angels fool you. The main purpose of this book is to summon creatures of destruction, angels included. No good can come of this. You must close this book and never open it again."

I wanted so badly to tell him what happened, to tell him that I read from the book, to tell him what I brought into this world. I have no idea how I was able to remove the images of what I saw from my mind... That... _thing_. It all happened so fast. There was so much blood. And that poor girl... she is dead now, because of me. At least, I hope she is dead, because I can't bear the idea of what she has or will become if she did not die.

Jack looked at me and he could see the fear in my eyes. It's like he had known me forever and instantly knew what I was thinking. "Mark, you told me you read from that book, but we didn't go into detail about what it was. How much did you read, Mark?"

I just looked at him. He could see the fear in my eyes.

"How much did you read, Mark? I can't help you unless I know everything." Jack took my hands into his, his skin warm and soft. I know he felt me tremble, but just the touch of him was calming me.

"I read enough," I managed to squeak out, my eyes cast down on the binding of the book. "I read enough to see what it can bring, and what it can destroy".

"Mark, you have to take me to that place, where you read. We have to find it and we have to get it back into the book where it belongs," Jack whispered to me. "It doesn't belong here, and no one is safe if that thing wanders the Earth.

"What is it?" I asked.

"No one really knows," Jack said. "Some think they are demons, some think entities called forth from Purgatory, some think they are fallen angels. Not many people know about this book, Mark, and history wanted it to stay that way. How the hell did you find this thing?" he whispered, looking around to make sure Tom and Lyric weren't within ear shot.

"Well, to be honest with you, the book found me. Literally. I was having lunch with a friend and a little old lady walked by. She looked right at me and stopped dead in her tracks. She had this weird, glazed over, white eye, and she hobbled with a cane. She looked ancient. She was dressed in black from head to toe, with a black scarf wrapped around her white hair. When she saw me, she smiled. She said 'you are the one. You must take this book. You will know what to do. You will meet the one that will help you carry out your task. You have been chosen', then she touched my shoulder. She dropped the book in my lap and I looked down at it. When I looked back up, she was gone. When I asked my friend, she said she didn't see any old lady stop and talk to me. I didn't think anything of it at the time, I just thought maybe she knew me from the book shop. Why else would she just plop an old book in my lap."

Jack seemed completely captivated by my story, his elbows on his knees, head propped up in his hands. "What happened next?" he asked.

"I dunno. The next thing I remember was reading from the book. It was raining, and there were candles lit by my feet. _I was outside, Jack_. The candles stayed lit, even in the rain. I remember looking up at the moon, I remember the way the light from the moon was shining through the clouds. Once the words came out of my mouth, I just kind of... blacked out. I could see what seemed to be black clouds and mist surround that girl by the river. I heard screaming. I didn't know what to do. I ran to her, but I was too late. Then the screams came. Her screams, Jack. I will never not hear them!"

I closed my eyes and placed my head in my hands. This was beginning to be too much and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop the tears from filling my eyes, I couldn't stop the thoughts and images from swirling around my head. My tears started streaming down my face. "Calm down, Mark..." Jack took me into his arms, his body pressing tightly into mine.

"Relax", Jack whispered.

"I can't relax!" I whisper-yelled. "Don't you understand?" Tears were streaming down my face now. I was sobbing, nearly out of control. Jack held me tighter, and I buried my face into his shoulder. "What did I do, Jack?" I exclaimed. "Oh, god, what did I do...?"


	5. Connecting With Nature

"Maybe it's time we took a break for a while" Jack said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I agreed.

I closed the book and locked the clasp, wrapped it in the cloth and locked it in the safe. "We'll rest for a while, try to take our minds off of things and once you get your head together a little more, you can take me down to the river to where all this happened. If we can find that girl, we can end this mess."

We told Tom and Lyric that we were going to go out for lunch. Tom started asking us to bring him something back to eat, but Lyric smacked him right in the gut, giving him "they are going to be alone, asshole" eyes, and Tom, still wheezing from having the wind knocked out of him, understood immediately. Neither of us were hungry, so we decided to just got for a drive.

We ended up at a local park, known for its scenic picnicking areas and nature trails. We decided to take a walk in the quiet of the wilderness. Jack was great at keeping me calm. He held my hand and talked to me. He helped me think of things other than the one thing I had blocked out of my memory, but somehow managed to come flooding back, threatening to drive me insane. As we walked through the trails, we talked to each other, getting to know each other, learning about each others lives. We laughed and joked, stopping to look at an animal or just to steal a hug, a quick kiss on the neck, or just to stare into each others eyes, trying to understand one another on the deepest of levels. I told him about my relationship with my brother, about how close we were. He told me all about his family in Ireland and the struggles he went through to put himself through school to pursue a career that he loved, but everyone else told him he was crazy for doing.

"I have always loved books" he told me, "and everyone thought I was crazy when I wanted to follow my dreams and actually make a career of doing what I adored. I guess in the long run it actually paid off, because if I never followed my dreams, I would never have ended up in America, making great money, working for some wonderful people, and I would have never met you".

"Working for some wonderful people, eh? So does that mean you decided to stay and take the job?"

"Yeeh, ya goof! Of course I'm taking the job! I would be a fucking idiot if I didn't!"

He slid his arms around my neck and pulled me in close. We kissed beneath the trees, with the birds singing and trilling happily in the sunshine, the breeze gently blowing through our hair. In that moment, everything was ok. And from this moment, everything will always be ok, as long as he was by my side.

* * *

We decided I was finally stable enough to go down to the river where the 'incident' happened. I was surprised I could remember where it was, but I was somehow drawn to the place like a magnet. I didn't remember any of the sights, but I knew exactly where to go.

We found the clearing by the river bank, and saw the circle of black candles which were no longer lit. We slowly examined every part of the area, looking for any clue that would help us find the girl. There was a smear of blood on one of the candles and a dead sparrow inside the circle, near the outer edge, but that was all we found.

"Hey, I have an idea" Jack said. He turned to me, arms outstretched, holding onto my upper arms, and braced his feet into the ground in a very serious manner. He looked at me and told me to close my eyes. "What? Why?" I inquired. "You'll see, love" he replied.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened my mouth to tell him this was stupid and I don't know why he was making me do this, I felt it. It was like a magnet... only in my head. I can't describe the feeling, it was like I was just drawn to go someplace. "That's it, Markimoo. Just follow it" Jack whispered. "I've gotcha. I won't let you go". He was holding my hand so I wouldn't fall, because I had to keep my eyes closed or I would lose the trail.

I wouldn't have been able to do this without him, not because he was guiding me by holding my hand, but he gave me strength. He gave me courage and the confidence in myself to continue on, when all I wanted to do was forget what happened, forget what I did, and bury myself in my blankets and booze.

We continued on until we came to a bridge... well, the under side of a bridge. "Mark, look" Jack said to me, and when I opened my eyes, Jack was pointing to a pillar under the bridge. Bracing myself to see some atrocious sight, I opened my eyes and turned to where Jack was pointing. My jaw dropped.

* * *

AAF ELASA TA A PIAP DE BAEOUIB OD VAOAN

A random jumble of strange letters and symbols was written on the pillar, in what looked like blood. Jack pulled a small notebook from his pocket and began scribbling in it, then he puled out his phone and took pictures of it.

"What is it?"

"Enochian."

"Can you translate it?"

"Yep, but it will have to wait until we get back to the book store... but since I have my phone out, come over here. It's about time we had our first picture together!" He flipped the camera to selfie mode, and snapped our first photo together.


	6. Captivated

We got back to the book store, and Jack immediately got online to start researching the Enochian letters and symbols we found. I grabbed a chair, swung it around and straddled it. I rested my arms on the back of the chair and set my chin on my arms, watching Jack work. He looked amazing. His sapphire eyes darted around on the computer screen, his brow scrunched in concentration, completely unaware that I was watching his every move. He was stunning. I couldn't stop grinning.

He would occasionally look at the store's book directory, then carefully pull a book from a shelf, scribble some notes in the small notepad he always kept in his pocket, then replace the book. He would look at me when he got up, smile or wink at me, but never said a word. He was very quiet when he worked, which added a bit of mystery that was extremely attractive and intoxicating.

After nearly 30 minutes of constant staring, I figured I should actually get some work done. I stood up and walked over to him.

"Do you need me to help you, Babe?" I asked.

"Nope. Nearly done!" he said proudly.

"Alright, I am going to go in back and help my brother go through the Rome stuff."

I knelt down next to him, and he swiveled his chair to face me. I rested my forearms on his thighs, my hands holding his hips, looking up at him. He gently placed both hands on each side of my face and leaned down. His soft lips brushed against mine... His touch was so gentle, it sent an electric chill through my entire body. I felt his thumbs gently stroke my skin just under my ears, and I was unable to stop myself from leaning in for more.

I could feel my heart start to race as our kiss deepened. He was so gentle, so sensual, so full of passion. He took his time, his tongue teasing mine. Every move he made was slow and full of purpose. He knew exactly what buttons to push. As much as I hated to, I forced myself away from his embrace and smiled up at him.

"We have to stop!" I told him, trying to catch my breath. "I can't go help my brother _now_! Jeez!"

Jack laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners the way they do. "Sorry..." Jack laughed, "I just can't help it! And if it makes you feel any better, I am in the same... pre _dic_ ament you are!"

I rolled my eyes, still smiling like an idiot. "There will be plenty of time. I just realized you haven't seen my house yet" I told him. "As soon as you get done with the translation, we can help Tom and Lyric for a while, then head back to my house."

"Yeea!" He yelled excitedly. "I can't wait!"

his enthusiasm made me chuckle. "I can't either" I said. I kissed the tip of his nose and stood up uncomfortably, trying to walk and making some adjustments. I wandered around the work station until I was able to go in the back and talk to Tom and Lyric without embarrassing myself.

* * *

"I GOT IT!" Jack yelled from the doorway. The three of us were in the back, cataloging the Rome stuff, when Jack appeared in the doorway waving his little notebook, a huge smile on his face. I rushed over to him, eager to see what the translation was.

I looked at his notepad, and read the words AMONGST YOU IS THE BALANCE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH. I could feel my brow furrow. I was confused. I expected something more... evil.

"What could this mean?" I asked Jack.

"No idea, I'm just glad we are one step closer to ending this."

* * *

It was getting dark, and I was eager to go home with Jack.

"Tom! We are going to take off!" I yelled into the back.

"Alright. You coming in tomorrow?" Tom asked

It was Friday, and Tom usually ran the store by himself on Saturdays. I only came in when he needed help, or if we got a shipment in. I weighed the Rome shipment against wanting to spend the day with Jack away from the store, I asked Tom if he could manage without us. He walked over to us, looked at us both and smiled warmly.

"Sure, Mark. Enjoy yourselves. It's really good to see you happy for once." He clapped Jack on the back, punched me in the arm, and laughed. "See you Monday. Text me."

We stopped at Jack's hotel so he could grab some clean clothes and toiletries.

"Hey," I said, as I sat on the bed, watching him gather his things. "Why don't you check out of this place. You can stay with me. I have a huge house."

My words stopped him dead in his tracks. "Isn't it a little... soon... for that, Mark?"

I immediately felt my face flush, and I said in a gruff, deep voice, "Well, uh... I mean... Ididntmeeheeheen... yeahsshhh pffFFfFf... youknow... I... whaddaya..."

I cleared my throat, Jack obviously amused by my embarrassment. I tried desperately to compose myself.

"I have three bedrooms! I meant you could have a room of your own instead of staying in a hotel, that my brother is paying for by the way..."

Jack walked over to me, smiling. He placed a finger over my lips, "shhhh" he said, still amused, still smiling. "I love seeing you get all flustered."

He lowered his lips to my ear. "I think staying with you is a wonderful idea" he whispered in my ear, then nibbled on my lobe. I felt my breath catch in my throat and I squeaked out "oh, that's so cool..."

* * *

Jack had only dropped his things off in the hotel, so he didn't have much to gather. He had plans for his family to send more of his things over if he decided to keep the job. Once he got everything together, we stopped at the desk and he checked out. He threw his things in my trunk, and we headed to my house. While I was driving, he had his face in his phone, tapping out a message to someone.

"I just emailed my sister" he told me. "She is going to send the rest of my stuff. It should be here in a week or two."

We pulled into my driveway.

"Here we are" I told him.

"Cool!" he yelped excitedly, jumping out and looking at my house.

I popped the trunk and he grabbed his things. We walked inside.

"Dude, I don't know about you, but I am starving" I told him.

We decided on pizza because we didn't want to go out, but we didn't want to cook. While we waited for the delivery guy to drop off the pizza, I showed Jack the two bedrooms he had to choose from. He picked the one closest to mine and dropped his bags on the floor at the end of the bed.

"Why do I have a feeling I won't be seeing this room much?" He asked, wrapping his arms around my waist, looking up into my eyes.

"What would give you that idea?" I smiled.


	7. Finally

I stood up and took Jack by the hand, leading him into my bedroom.

"Wow" jack said, holding back a laugh. "There is a lot of... pink... in here!" He glanced at me. "I didn't think you were...f"

"I'M NOT!" I yelled, smacking him with a pink mustache pillow. "All the pink is a looong story, and all this stuff was a gift from friends. It is like... an inside joke. I will tell you about it sometime," I said, smiling.

The doorbell rang, and I ran down to pay the pizza dude. Jack was on his way to the kitchen, when he spotted my gaming set up in the living room

" _Holy FUCK_ , Mark! I didn't know you were a gamer! I _LOVE_ gaming!" he screamed excitedly.

"Well," I said, "what do you want to play? I have pretty much any game you can imagine... Just pick something that has multiplayer."

I dropped the pizza on the coffee table, and opened the game cabinet, showing Jack my immense collection of games. He looked like a kid in a candy store. "I think you're drooling a little, Babe" I said to him, chuckling.

We decided to start new characters in Diablo 3, playing on the Xbox One. We sat side by side, talking, laughing, enjoying each others company. I looked at him while he was looking through his inventory, and he caught my gaze.

"I... Jack...?"

"What is it?" He turned to me, smiling. He looked amazing.

"it's just... I haven't been this happy in a long time" I told him. "You make me happy. I adore you."

"And I you."

"I don't deserve you. I don't deserve this happiness. Not after what I did. Not after... what I did to... her." I dropped my head in my hands and started to sob.

"Oh... hey! No, Mark, don't. I hate seeing you so upset."

He gently placed his hand on my cheek and wiped a tear. My face still in his hand, he pulled me close to him. I buried my face in his neck. I could smell his intoxicating scent, making me feel slightly better. Feeling Jack's body so close to mine stirred something in me, something that made me feel... Warm. Safe. Human. I wanted this forever.

I pulled my head back from his neck, looking into his eyes. So warm and gentle. He smiled. I felt something inside me stir, and I moved to him and gently kissed his neck, trailing my tongue along his collar bone. I felt him shiver and tremble under my touch. He sighed and pressed his lips to mine, parting them to allow me to taste him. I could feel his scruffy face against my cheek, and it sent a thrill through me.

I felt his hands lift my shirt, his fingers drifting up my belly and around to my sides. He tugged at the bottom of my shirt, lifting it and pulling it over my head. I followed suit, nearly ripping his T-shirt. A tiny moan escaped Jack's lips as my mouth explored his chest and belly. I wanted to taste every inch of him! His skin reminded me of peaches, so soft and sweet, just begging to be bitten. As I sunk my teeth into his chest, I heard Jack suck air in between his teeth, then he squealed in delight. "oh, god, Mark, please don't stop... please" he hissed. I could hear his breathing getting faster as my hands found the button on his jeans. I couldn't help but to run my hand over the bulge in his pants, and Jack inhaled sharply, letting his breath out in a slow moan.

My hands explored his body, wanting to know every inch of him. I trailed my fingers along his ribs, grabbing his waist, digging my fingers in, maybe too hard. If I had nails, I probably would have drawn blood. Jack threw his head back, his eyes closed, practically panting and whispering my name with every breath.

I tugged at his jeans, pulling the waist to his knees, then grabbing both pant legs and pulling them completely off in one quick yank. He laid back on my couch, his boxers tented, and I fumbled with the button on my own jeans.

"No, I want to" he told me, and sat up.

He straddled me, pushing me back on the couch by my shoulders. His lips found my neck, and I couldn't hold back a moan of my own as I felt him suck hard, probably leaving a mark. I didn't care... I wanted him so badly. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt his fingers dig into my shoulder blades, then slide down, caressing my muscular back, then going even lower to my waist. I felt his hands slide around my waist, his fingers creeping along my belly, changing directions at my navel to follow the trail of hair peeking out of my jeans. I felt his lips graze my belly, I felt the soft, warm, wet sensation of him tasting the skin under my navel, his tongue teasing its way downward, and it nearly sent me over the edge.

Jack looked directly into my eyes as his fingers easily popped the button on my jeans, and I closed my eyes and laid my head back when I heard the zipper slowly unzipping. I could hear my breath release with a little moan as he started to tug at my waistband. He didn't bother leaving my boxers on, he pulled them off with my jeans, and tossed them on the floor.

With my eyes closed, I was hyper-sensitive to every touch, every sound, every breath. I could hear my own breathing getting faster as he took me into his hand, and slowly began stroking me. It was heaven!

"Jack, I... oohhh god, don't stop, please" I begged.

He didn't stop, but continued in a way I had never experienced. I felt a new sensation, something unbelievable. He wet his thumb, and rested it firmly on my most sensitive spot, then, while still moving his hand, never losing his rhythm, he began stroking small, slow circles with his thumb. I inhaled sharply, and just as I thought this couldn't get any better, I felt the warm, wet sensation of his mouth. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't control it, the feeling was so intense and new, and I whispered to him that I couldn't hold back anymore. I know he heard me, because he looked directly into my eyes, but never stopped, never faltered. Staring intensely into his eyes, I found sweet release, and I heard myself moan his name as he took all of me into his mouth. The sensations I felt were amazing! I have never experienced a release like this, and it actually intensified when I watched him make swallowing motions without skipping a beat.

I needed a minute to gather myself. My mind was reeling! _My god! Where did he come from, and how did I get lucky enough to find someone who fit me like a missing puzzle piece?_ I have only known him for two days, but I swear, this is the closest I have ever felt to love.

I took his face in my hands, and pressed my mouth to his. I wanted to taste myself on him. I wanted this to never end! I kissed him deeply, my hands no longer shy, and I allowed them to wander down to the waistband of his boxers. I tugged them down, and let out a little gasp at his size. Jack has a small frame, but damn, he was _huge_!

"Come here, lay back" I told him, and he did. His face was relaxed and comfortable, as if this weren't the first time we had ever explored one another. We fit, this was right.

I laid him back, and whispered to him.

"Relax. It's my turn."

His eyes closed lazily, laying his head back. I took him into my hand, the thought and sensation of what he had done to me still lingering. Hoping I could reenact the movements he used on me, I began to stroke him, wetting my thumb and placing it on that magic spot. I began the slow, circular motions with my thumb, hoping to be half as good as he was. A moan escaped his lips, and I took that as a sign that he was experiencing the same sensations I did.

"Mark," he whispered, "that's... perfect... my god, Mark..."

His words came out as breathy whispers, and his breathing got faster. I hoped to give him the same sensation as I parted my lips to taste him, and he sucked in his breath. I wanted all of him, hand work be damned, and I took him, all of him, into my mouth, my hands holding his hips. I opened my throat and allowed him to go deeper. It only took two throat strokes before I heard him make a squeak, like he wanted to speak but couldn't, and he exploded into my mouth. The taste of him was beyond words! I was rock hard again, even though I had just the most wonderful release of my life minutes before.

Jack was breathing hard and fast, and I licked my lips when he looked at me.

"Wow" was all he could say before laying his head back again and closing his eyes. "Any sensation I have ever felt before was just multiplied by 100" Jack said. "You are a multiplier!... no... a Markiplier!" He laughed out loud at his own joke.

"Can this last forever, Mark?" he asked, eyes still closed.

"I hope so, Jackaboy. I... think I could really love you."

"I completely understand. I... feel the same." He propped himself up on one elbow, resting his head on his fist. "Do you believe in love at first sight, _Markiplier?"_

"I didn't... until yesterday."


	8. Sleeping with the Enemy

I opened my eyes, I looked around and realized I wasn't at home. Everything around me was black, and I could hear screaming coming from somewhere distant. "Jack? JACK!" I could hear myself screaming his name, but I couldn't see him or hear him. I started walking toward the screaming; The closer I got, the louder the screams. The girl. She was here! Could I help her? I started walking toward the screams. Then the smell hit me. I couldn't narrow it down to one smell, it was a horrid mix of blood, mud, burning candle wax, old leather, and death.

"Jack? Please! Are you here?!" I screamed out for him, but no one replied, only the never ending screams of that poor girl.

I felt something behind me, like icy breath on the back of my neck. Chilled and scared, I spun around, but nothing was there. The screams stopped. I saw something sparkling in the distance. I tried walking toward it... I tried but my legs and feet felt like lead. Panicking now, I tried running, which was useless. Nothing was moving, my body wouldn't work!

"MARK! Mark, where are you?! I can't find you! Mark! Please find me!" It was Jack! He was here, and he needed me! "JACK! Keep talking, Jack! I will find you!" I was looking in all directions frantically, trying to listen for him.

"MARK! I'm here!" I heard him cry out. It sounded like it was off to my left, so I turned and started walking toward his voice. My legs worked just fine now, but I was being slowed by something on the ground. I felt myself sinking into the wet Earth, the coldness of it sending shivers through my body. It felt like wet cement.

"JACK! I can't move! Can you come to me?" I yelled out frantically.  
"I'm coming, Mark! Just stay still!" I heard him call out.

I closed my eyes, feeling myself sink deeper. 'Don't move, don't struggle. It will only make it worse' I told myself. I took a deep breath. 'Jack is on his way. Just relax.' I looked up and saw the stars. The same stars I stood under when that girl got... when the thing happened. The same stars I looked up at when I ran. The same stars I was under the day I met my Jackaboy. Jack. Just focus on him. I need to see him again. I can't die like this.

I was up to my thighs in the cold mud cement when I finally heard someone walk up behind me. "Jack!" I cried out. "Thank god!"  
"God has nothing to do with this, asshole!" A voice growled.

That's when I felt something crack the back of my skull and I passed out.

* * *

When I woke up, I wasn't in the mud, I was laying in the grass, and it wasn't pitch black anymore. My head hurt. I opened my mouth and tried to call out for Jack, but I couldn't find my voice. I felt something inside of my head, but I couldn't tell if it was trying to escape, or trying to get farther in. It hurt. I heard voices, swirling around and screaming inside my head, hundreds, no, thousands of voices screaming, clawing at my brain, trying to break down my being.

 _"You're weak, Mark!"  
"No one loves you!"  
"You are NOTHING!"  
"You don't deserve to live!"  
"Jack doesn't love you!"  
"You are disgusting!" _  
"No! Shut up!" I smashed my hands to my ears, trying desperately to make the voices stop. I closed my eyes tight and started screaming "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! FUCK YOUUU!"  
 _"You are worthless!"_  
"Shut up! Leave me alone!"  
 _"Jack hates you!"_  
"SHUT UP!"  
 _"He can never love someone like you. You should just die!"_  
"NO! FUCK YOU!"  
"Mark! _Just join us! Come with us. We can make you happy!"  
_ "I WILL NEVER GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
"MARK!"  
"LEAVE ME ALONE! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! FUCK OFFF!"  
I was shaking my head, trying to get them out, my hands covering my ears, my body curled into a ball. I was shaking uncontrollably, when I felt something pressing down on me. _"I am inside you now. Forever."_ It whispered right into my ear. "Who are you!? Why are you doing this to me?!"  
 _"I am you, Mark. Your dark side. The twisted, insane you. The dark you. The Dark Mark."  
" I am Darkiplier."_  
"NO! NO! GET OFF OF ME, MOTHERFUCKER!"  
I found the strength to take my hands off of my ears, and I started swinging. I felt my fists make contact with who or whatever was on top of me, when I heard Jack's voice cry out "What the fuck! Mark! Wake the FUCK UP!"

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was laying on my living room floor, Jack was straddling me, and he was bleeding. Oh god! Was I dreaming? Did I actually hit my Jackaboy?!  
"Jack! Oh my god, did I hurt you?!" I scrambled up and scooped him up in my arms. "I am so sorry, baby! I am so sorry! I... I was having a night terror." Ashamed, I looked at my fists, both of them were bloody, but I couldn't tell if it was my or Jack's blood.  
"Are you alright? Please be alright!" He gently placed his fingers under my chin and lifted my face to his, just like he did right before our first kiss. I could see tears welling up in Jack's eyes, making the blue even brighter. Even in this living nightmare he is gorgeous.  
"I'm ok, are you? I hurt you. How could I?" I could feel my own tears coming once again.  
"you are safe, love. I'm here." He wrapped his arms around me, and I trembled. "Can you tell me what happened?"

* * *

I got my first aid kit and started cleaning his busted eye and lip. I told him everything. I remembered everything. It wasn't like a fading dream that escapes your memory moments after waking. It was... real.

Jack was visibly shaken when I told him everything. "What's wrong, babe? I was the one that had to live that hell! I mean, yeah, I hit you, but I swear it wasn't you, I didn't mean it! You don't know what I went through!"

"Yeah, I do." Jack said, looking me dead in my eyes. "I know exactly what you went through. I had the same dream, Mark. I was there, too."

Jack started shaking, and his eyes were filled with fear. "The book. Babe, this is because of the book. That... thing that got out is trying to get to you... trying to get US."


	9. It's Official

Once I got Jack's bloody face cleaned, I saw that it wasn't that bad. He had a tiny but deep gash above his right eye, and a small split on the left side of his lower lip. I used a butterfly bandage to close the cut on his eye. It could probably use a stitch, but he refused to go to the hospital.

My knuckles were pretty busted up. I couldn't figure out why until Jack said when I started swinging, I nailed the leg of the coffee table full force with my closed fist. "The sound of your bones cracking on the table made me cringe!" he told me. My knuckles ached, and the cuts stung, but I took some ibuprofen and Jack cleaned them and gently bandaged them for me. I didn't think any bones were broken, but my hand was swollen and bruised an ugly, angry purple color.

Neither of us talked much about what happened, but we were both thinking about it. I took a deep breath and let it out, preparing myself for what I was about to commit myself to.

"Hey," I said. He was on his laptop, focused intently on whatever he was reading, but he looked up at me when I spoke, then wiggled a little and smiled when I poked him in the ribs. When he looked up I saw his eyes soften, as if he was grateful for the distraction. "So, obviously we need to talk more about what happened, and come up with some kind of plan. We can't just hide here forever. I fucked up, I... I dunno... tore a hole in the fabric of reality or some crazy shit, and now I have to fix my mistake." Jack's eyes settled on me. He shifted his weight and focused on me fully. Even now, when I was determined to make a plan, pack a bag, and right my wrongs, I couldn't help but to notice how stunning Jack was. "Whatcha have in mind?" he asked.

I stood up, grabbed my backpack and tossed it on the couch. It had some stuff in it from last week when I decided I needed some fresh air and went hiking for the weekend. I unzipped it and dumped everything on the couch to make room to pack for my new adventure. "I'm not sure, but ever since I... woke up, I have had an urge to leave. Not to run, but to go _toward_ something. It's drawing me, calling to me. I can feel it..." I stopped fiddling with my backpack and looked at him. "Do I sound crazy? I mean, I am listening to myself, and the words coming out of my mouth sound pretty crazy. Things sane, normal people don't say."

Jack stood up, ran upstairs to grab his own backpack. As he was running up the stairs, he yelled "Well, here's what I think," I heard some movement then his footsteps coming back down the stairs. "I think you were crazy long before all this started," I turned to him as he approached, hand on one hip, head tilted a bit. "I mean, what sane person owns a store dedicated to centuries old tomes dealing with the occult and demonology?"

He had a point. I raised an eyebrow and said "that's true... mhmm..." Jack nodded. "Right!"  
"Plus," he added, holding up his index finder for emphasis, "who ever said you were _normal_? Sweet Mark," he walked to me, put his hands on my cheeks and pulled my face close to his own "you are _very_ far from _normal"_ he whispered, then brushed his lips over mine.

* * *

"Do you have a plan?" he asked me as we were hastily tossing stuff in our packs. "Nope". I threw him a sideways glance and grinned. "It'll be fun!" I said, shaking my head while mouthing 'NO IT WON'T!'. I couldn't stop myself from laughing at my own silliness. Jack found it amusing as well, and he let out a little chuckle.

I pulled out my iPhone and sent a quick text to Tom, letting him know we were going on a little excursion and not to worry if he couldn't reach me. He replied and asked where we were headed, to which I said 'No idea lol. We are going where our whim takes us.' He made sure to tell me that he was glad I was happy and being spontaneous with my new boyfriend.

"Tom called you my boyfriend" I said to Jack as we were grabbing last minute stuff. "How did that become the topic of conversation?" he asked. I showed him my phone, he read it and handed it back to me then turned and walked out of the kitchen, muttering a "huh" sound. He stopped by the front door to pick up his backpack and mine, then slung them both over a shoulder. "Well?," he said, holding a hand out to the side, palm up. He shrugged his shoulders. His cheeks flushed pink as he mumbled, "am I?"

I was right behind him as he walked out of the kitchen, carrying an insulated cooler bag that I had just stuffed full of snacks and drinks. I slung the strap over my shoulder, and stopped in the doorway. I leaned against the door frame and looked at him. A smile spread across my face as I asked "I dunno? Is that what you want? I mean, is it too soon to make it official?"

For the first time since I met him, Jack actually stumbled over his words, his face growing more pink as he stammered, trying to make coherent sentences. He was failing. It was adorable.

"... I mean... I don't... no, NO! Not no! I mean yeah, well..." he let out a nervous laugh and ran his fingers through his hair, then took a deep breath and blew it out in one quick burst. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say is... I really like you, I may even lo..." He looked at his shoes, trying to find the words. He kept his gaze down toward the floor. "I can see myself loving you, Mark. It may be really soon, but I have never met anyone like you. No one has ever connected with me on an emotional, intellectual or physical level like you have. If it is too soon, maybe it will bite us in the ass, but with all the crazy shit that has happened in the last couple days, and knowing we may be in danger or even die, yes. I want this to be official." He looked up at me, our eyes locked, and he smiled. "Say you will be mine, Markiplier. This may be selfish, but you make me happy, and I don't want this feeling to end. I want you to be mine, Mark. Please tell me you feel the same?"

I felt my eyes soften, and tears welled up yet again. "No one has ever said anything like that to me before," I confessed. "I promise I will do everything I can to keep you safe and happy. We may be walking right up to death's door when we step outside of ours, so fuck it. If I die, I want to die happy, and you make me happier than I have ever been. I need to follow my heart, and from the moment I met you, my heart has told me that I love you. Maybe it is the circumstances, maybe we were meant to be, maybe you are the one that old woman said would help me carry out my task. If that is true, then we were destined for this, Jack. We were destined to fall in love. Fuck it... I'm in love with you." I threw my hands up in the air. " _HAPPY?_ " I said very loudly, my head tilted, smiling wildly.

Jack's hands were covering his mouth, and I could see the tears in his eyes. One single tear ran down his cheek, and it seemed like that one tear was fuel to make him move. He ran to me and threw his arms around my neck and pressed his lips to mine. When our kiss ended, he whispered in my ear "yes, Mark. I am happy. And I love you, too."


	10. Are You Afraid of the Dark, Mark?

We got our things into the car, and both of us got in. We stopped at the bookstore, and I ran in and got the book out of the safe. I had a strong lockbox that I put the book into, and I locked it. I handed the box to Jack, and he set it on the floor of the back seat, right behind him. "Where are we going? Any ideas?" Jack asked as he was fastening his seat belt. "East. I think," I told him. I wasn't quite sure, but I still felt that tugging in my head, like some supernatural magnet.

About 20 miles into our drive, we reached an intersection and I got a sudden urge to turn. The road was very dark. There were no houses or buildings, just trees and a ditch on either side of the road. I had never been down this road, and I had no idea where it went, but something was almost forcing me to take this road.

Jack eyed me with suspicion. "Do you know where you are going?" he asked playfully. I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, because I was very somber and concentrating intently.  
"Yes and no. I can't explain what I feel, but it's like there is a magnet in my head pulling me." I rubbed my forehead, then put my hand on his thigh and rubbed it lightly, trying to reassure him. "Don't worry, gorgeous. Everything will be fine." I looked at him and gave him a big smile, trying to ease his mind. "You really are gorgeous. Have I told you that?"

Jack felt his cheeks get warm as a blush spread across them. "No..." He smiled shyly, putting his head down and looking up at me with puppydog eyes. I stroked the side of his face with my thumb, then looked back at the road. "OHHH FUCK!" I heard myself start screaming before I even realized I was screaming. I jerked the wheel hard to the right, then tried to straighten out when I realized I swerved too hard. The back end of the car started fishtailing, and I lost control completely. We began to spin, and everything seemed to be going in slow motion. I heard Jack scream "FUCK! Mark! WhatheFUCK!", then we stopped. The back end of the car was in the ditch. I blinked twice, then realized I was looking straight up at the stars.

* * *

"Oh my god, Jack! Are you alright?" I turned my head to look at Jack. He was rubbing his head. "Yeea, I'm ok. Smacked my melon pretty good on the window, though. Fuckin' hurts!" He rubbed his head a little more. "What happened? I didn't see anything in the road!"

I closed my eyes, replaying the last few moments in my head. "We have to figure this shit out before it fucking kills us, Jack. What I tried to avoid hitting was... me."

* * *

"All I can see now are his eyes..." I shook my head, "my eyes... but not mine. He looks like me, but his eyes are red. A deep, blood red. He looks just like me in every other way except for those eyes."

"I didn't see anything, Mark. There was nothing in the road! Are you sure you saw what you thought you saw? I mean, could it have been a fucking hallucination or some shit?"  
"There is something I didn't tell you. When I... when we had the dream, he was there... I think. I didn't actually see his face, but I heard him. He sounded like me, and he told me he was me. I figured it was just some stupid crap my brain conjured up because of the book, but I actually _saw_ him this time, and this was no dream." I looked at my new found lover. "In my dream, he said _'I am you, Mark. Your dark side. The twisted, insane you. The dark you. The Dark Mark'."_

We didn't get out of the car right away. Jack unbuckled his seat belt and looked at me. "This 'Dark' guy isn't you, Baby. It is a demon or... maybe a doppelgänger. Whatever it is, it is definitely drawn to you.

"Yeah. He said so many awful things to me, told me I was weak, told me I don't deserve to live and..." I trailed off.  
"... And what?"  
"He told me you don't love me." Just saying those words made my heart crumble.  
"Hey..." Jack said softly, "hey, no! No, no babe! Look at me!" He touched me gently under my chin, turning my face to his. "This thing is pure evil, Mark. It feeds off of your fears. It lies." His thumb gently stroked my cheek. "I love you, Mark. And I know how you feel about me, because he does, too. If one of your fears is that you think I don't love you, that speaks a thousand words about what is in your head and heart. He wouldn't have said that if it wasn't important to you" Jack took my hand. "We will get through this. I promise."

I pulled out my phone and called my brother.  
"Hey, Mark. I wasn't expecting to hear from you during your romantic weekend getaway. What's up?"  
"Yeah, some romantic weekend. I need you to come help us. My car is in a ditch."  
Tom chuckled. "Nice going, asshole." He sighed. "Where are you?"  
"About 20 miles out of town. The GPS says the road is called Morrow Road, just off of Marine Highway."  
"Ok, I need to get dressed and I will head out. How bad is it? Can we pull the car out with a tow chain? I will call Felix and have him bring his truck if we need to."  
"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea. The back wheels are bumper deep in mud."  
"Jesus! How the hell did yo... Wait... WERE YOU GETTING ROAD HEAD?! Ugh...Nevermind, I don't want to know. We should be there within an hour."  
"Thanks, Tom. I owe you."  
"Yep... ya do."  
I chuckled. "Bye."

"Tom and our good friend Felix will be here within an hour to pull the car out." I told Jack as I was putting my phone in my pocket.  
"Well, what are we suppose to do in the meantime?" Jack asked, slipping his arms around my waist, pulling my body close to his.  
"I think we can figure something out," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him and started kissing his neck. He breathed a little sigh in my ear. "I like where this is going."

* * *

The whole back end of the car was in the ditch, so I couldn't open the trunk to get to any of the supplies we had, but Jack has a tiny body. I crawled in the back and popped the lever that makes the back seat fold down, and Jack managed to crawl through it and grab our backpacks and a blanket.

We spread the blanket on a patch of grass under two large trees near the car and I sat down. Jack came to me and lowered himself on my lap, straddling me. He wrapped his arms around my neck, his arms bent behind my head, and his fingers were in my hair. "I love your hair. So fuckin' sexy," he growled in a throaty whisper, closing a fist around a good handful of hair and pulling my head back to expose my neck. His lips and tongue were immediately sucking my neck, and I groaned with pure pleasure. "Fuck yeah, Jack, I like it rough like that," I said with a deep growl. He still had my hair in his grasp, his other hand making its way down my back and side.

I closed my eyes, and sucked my breath in between my teeth when Jack sunk his teeth into my neck, soothing the sting with gentle kisses and slight sucking. "Fuck, Jack, I already have a mark on my neck..." I whispered through my panting, "people will think you're abusive." I chuckled.

"Oh, babe, you haven't seen anything yet" he said. He licked his lips, then bit his bottom lip and looked right at me as he leaned back and took his belt off, a look of pure lust and mischief in his eyes. A small crooked smile spread across his gorgeous face.


	11. Mark Likes it Rough

Jack doubled his belt over and yanked the ends outward, making a loud, sharp 'CRACK' sound that actually made me flinch. I had a split second of actual fear that ran through me, until the fucking primal lust took over my body. Jack was staring into my eyes as he inched closer to me, belt in hand, the tip of his tongue on his top lip. "Get up" he commanded, and we stood up. "Turn around" he said to me. I did as I was told, and it was hot. I was rock hard.

He took both of my hands and brought them up over my head. He wrapped his belt around my wrists tightly; I couldn't get out if I tried, which I didn't. "Walk" Jack commanded. He was standing behind me, his hands on my lower back, guiding me to a nearby tree with a low hanging branch. When I got to the tree, he whispered "stop" right into my ear, his breath warm on my neck.

When I stopped, he spun me around and told me to stay there. I stood, waiting. He took a step back and just stared at me, his eyes looking up. He took another step back and said "don't move. I'll be right back," and he headed over to the backpacks and the blanket.

I watched him intently, while taking everything in. The air was slightly cool, there was a pleasant breeze whispering through the trees. I could hear crickets chirping and my own breath quicken when I saw him stand up and walk back to me. I realized how dark it was, and wondered about the time, knowing there were people on their way to help us as this was all happening. I said nothing, just watched in amazement, wondering how he could be so fucking sexy and slightly scary at the same. It sent a thrill through my entire body.

When Jack reached me, he said nothing. He pulled my belt off slowly and yanked my arms up. Jack laid the blanket down next to the tree. He wrapped my belt around his, then told me to sit down. I did as I was commanded, and he securely tied my belt to a narrow trunk that jutted out of the tree like a V. He took a step back, eyeing his handywork. "Before we go any further, we have some terms to discuss." My brow furrowed, I leaned back against the tree, and he took a step back.

"Terms? What kind of terms?"  
"First, we need a safe word, something you would never normally say or yell during sex. How does 'poodle' work for you?"  
"Well, poodle is my go-to outburst in the throws of passion, but I think I can control myself just this once," I joked. He smiled, trying desperately to maintain his dominance. He turned his back to me, probably so he could laugh and get himself under control.

He spun back around and asked "do you have any boundaries that you don't want me to cross?"  
"Ummm..." I couldn't think, my mind was racing, wondering what was going to happen. I, of course, had never seen Jack this way, and I was kind of nervous, but more than anything it was fucking hot. I was already close to climax, and he hadn't even touched me yet. "Just... don't get too crazy. This is new to me" I confessed.

He stepped closer and stroked my face with his thumb. "Don't worry, kitten. If it gets too intense, just say the safe word." I swallowed and nodded.

* * *

He reached around and pulled something cloth out of his back pocket, lifted it to my face, then tied it over my eyes. My heart started racing, and I could hear my breath quicken.

I felt Jack's Hands on the top of my arms, and they slowly slid their way down, his hands caressing my skin. He left my T shirt on, thankfully. I couldn't shake the thought that my brother and Felix would be here soon. As if he were reading my mind, Jack reached into my jeans and pulled out my phone. I heard him tapping frantically, then he grinned. "What did you do? Did you take my phone?" I asked.

"No worries, love. I just messaged Tom and told him to take his time, that we were enjoying the quiet time together." As soon as he said that, my phone jingled, and Jack read the text. He smiled and nodded his head, then set the phone next to me on the blanket. "Tom was just getting ready to leave. He said he would wait another hour. He also called you a dirty butt fucker!" Jack chuckled, I smiled, shaking my head.

The next thing I knew, Jack's lips were pressed to mine, gently at first, then ravenous. I could feel him climb into my lap, straddling me. His hands were on my sides, fingers pressing into my back. He moved his mouth to my neck, trailing kisses down to my collar bone. I could hear tiny sounds coming from his throat, and I let out a low, guttural moan. His hands moved down to my jeans, where he traced his fingers over the bulge threatening to break my zipper. His mouth was still working on my neck, I could feel him suck and bite, and I loved every fucking second of it. I knew I would have marks, and the thought of Jack marking me as his territory turned me on even more.

I turned my head to kiss him, but he ticked his tongue on the top of his mouth and said softly "no... oh no, my pet. You don't get to make the rules this time, I do". I grunted in frustration and his incessant teasing. He was driving me crazy! And I loved him!

I could feel him unbutton my jeans, and he slid his hand down my belly, under my waistband and took me into his hand. His hand was so warm and soft, and everything about the situation was threatening to drive me to the edge. He pulled his hand back, and I could feel him tugging my jeans down. I lifted my ass off the ground to help him get them off faster, my heart racing, the feeling of the cool, outside air on my naked lower body was intoxicating.

Jack backed off for a moment, and I could hear him struggling out of his own jeans, then I felt the warmth of his body climbing onto mine again. His mouth pressed against mine again, kissing me deeply, and he whispered "I love you, Mark" into my ear as he bit me at the base of my neck. I felt something warm and wet, and Jack's movements as he lowered himself gently onto me.

Once I entered him, he waited the briefest of moments, then he sucked in a sharp breath and began to slowly ride me, letting out a long, slow breath, then moaning lightly. He was so warm, his movements slow and full of purpose. Jack wrapped his arms around my neck, and we kissed again, deeply and full of passion. He took the blindfold off of me, and I looked into his intense eyes as my body moved with his. He was in complete control, I couldn't even touch him! I wanted to grab his hair, yank it back and devour his neck, but I couldn't. The thought that I had no control drove me over the edge, and I whispered "Jack, I can't hold back..."

But he stopped. I could feel him against my belly, rock hard and very warm. He looked at me and said "you can't until I say you can, and I'm not done with you yet. I let out a groan. "You're killing me!" I whispered in a throaty, deep moan. He started moving again slowly... oh god, so slowly. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the tree, moving my body again with him, and his movements got faster. I could hear his breath quicken with each thrust, and he pressed himself into my belly with his hand, "mhmm... don't stop, Mark... Jeep going, just like... that..." I couldn't stop it, I couldn't hold back "Jack... I can't..." I whispered, then exhaled as I filled him. At that very moment, I could feel his warm, sticky release on my belly, as he called out my name.

* * *

Once he got off of me, Jack untied my hands. My shoulders were sore, as was my abused neck, but it was an amazing feeling. I just had the best fucking sex of my life! Once my arms were free, I scooped up his tiny frame and kissed him deeply. "My god, where did you learn that?" I asked him. "Don't ask" he replied, winking at me.

We got the backpacks and blanket into the car, and Jack leaned against the car. I walked to him and wrapped my arms around him. "I love you, Jackaboy" I told him, then I kissed him, trailing from his mouth down to his neck. I started sucking furiously, paying him back for ravaging my own neck.

He laughed and shoved me off of him, just in time to see headlights pulling up behind us. Tom got out of the passenger side of the truck, and a tall guy with bright blue hair and a scruffy beard got out of the driver side. "GODDAMN! It smells like sex out here!" he yelled loudly, making a face and Tom started cracking up.

"Jack, this is Felix," I said, shaking my head and laughing.


	12. Felix and Mekiah

Jack moved to Felix, holding out the hand that had just ravaged my body. Felix looked down and said "I do brofist..." holding out a fist to jack, who bumped it happily. Felix wiped his fingers on his pants immediately after, making a face. I laughed right out at his actions, typical Felix.

Felix and Tom got to work attaching a large chain to the front of my bumper. Jack and I stood back and watched as Felix revved the engine of the large truck, slowly pulling the car out of the muddy ditch. Once the car was out of the ditch, I started it to make sure all was ok with it, then I thanked my brother and my friend and they got ready to leave.

"Hey, Mark, can I talk to you for just a minute?" Felix asked. I walked over to him and said "What's up?" I asked, slightly concerned. Felix clapped me on the back. "Tom told me about you and Jack," he told me. "I'm really happy for you, bro." he held a fist out, and I bumped it.

Tom and Felix got into the truck and took off, leaving Jack to be alone with me once again. We got in the car, and I turned to him and placed a hand on his chin, moving him to look at me. I leaned in and kissed him tenderly. It was just then I noticed the cut on his eye looked angry and infected. "Is the cut on your eye feeling OK?" I asked him.

"I think so, why? Does it look bad?" He asked, pulling down the visor mirror and looking at it. "I just don't want it to get infected. Imagine if it got all fucked up and septic..."  
"Then you would be JackSepticEye! Ha! you gave me a weird ass nickname, now it's my turn to give you one!"  
Jack rolled his eyes at me and turned back to the mirror. "you think it will be ok? I am too pretty for my face to get fucked up."  
"That's true" I said, brushing my fingers over his cheek.

* * *

We drove well into the night, following the feeling in my head, which we have lovingly named the 'brain magnet'. The sun was rising on the horizon, and Jack had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. He looked so peaceful and tiny, his mouth open just slightly, breathing softly. I made sure to not take my eyes off the road for more than a second, in fear that something would run us off the road, but everything was fine. I put my hand on his thigh. He made a 'mmmm' sound, and shifted slightly, a smile curling on his sleeping lips.

I pulled up to an old farmhouse that looked almost abandoned. Jack sensed that we had stopped, and he opened his eyes, turning his head to me. "Where are we?" he asked.  
"Not sure," I told him, "but the brain magnet stops here. This is where we are suppose to be," I told him as I got out of the car and ran my fingers through my hair.

Jack got out also and stretched his arms. He was adorable. The sun had just risen, and its golden rays were shining on him, like the gods had him on display for me alone. I walked to him and ran my hand down his back. "Ready? I have no idea what this is going to bring," I said. "Yeeyhh! I want to put a cap on this demonic nonsense so we can start living peacefully!"

Jack sensed my apprehension, and he hugged me. It was warm and gave me a sense of comfort. Holding him made me feel like I was home... No, in his arms I _was_ home. He took a step back from me and said "dude, it's like 5:30 in the morning. If anyone is here, I'm sure they are sleeping. Maybe we should come back later."

"No need for that!" a loud, chipper female voice called out from the porch. Jack and I were both startled, and we turned our heads in unison to see who was speaking.

There was a woman, no... more like a barely grown girl sitting on the porch swing sipping coffee. She saw us look at her, and she smiled warmly. She waived a hand at us, beckoning us to come closer. There were two steaming cups of coffee sitting on a small table, and she gestured to them, telling us to help ourselves.

We walked up to the porch, unsure how to approach. "Uhh... We don't know you... and this is going to seem crazy, but..."

The girl winked and said "I don't need your number to call you, maybe!" and started cracking up at her own joke. She had a small, squeaky voice, but was surprisingly bubbly and loud. She gathered herself while Jack and I looked at each other. She shook her head, obviously realizing that she sounded like the biggest dork alive. "Sorry, sorry..." she huffed. She stood up and held out a hand, waiving for us to have a seat. "I'm Mekiah, and I am here to explain some things to you."

* * *

Mekiah had an exceptionally tiny frame; Jack looked like a giant standing next to her. She had hair black as midnight. It was long and straight, trailing off just past her waist. It was tied back in a pony tail, very sleek and smooth. Her skin was like caramel, and we later found out that was due to her mix of Native American and African American heritage. She didn't wear a stitch of makeup, but her beauty was breathtaking. Mekiah wore clothing that looked like something Jack or I would wear, a World of Warcraft T shirt and a pair of long, plaid cargo shorts. She had a pair of black Sketchers on, and her socks didn't match. She carried herself in a masculine manner, and was boisterous and very exorbitant, almost like a flamboyant gay man. We learned that she, too, had an affinity for the same sex, and her lover was asleep in the house.

The way she spoke and carried herself amused us, I could see Jack's eyes dancing as he was enjoying being in her company. Both of us were immediately comfortable, as if we had been the best of friends our whole lives.

* * *

"So, you are here about the book, no?" She sipped her coffee.  
"Uhh... yeeh, how could you possibly know?" Jack asked.  
"I know so much stuff. Sometimes I wonder how my brain handles it. I am truly grateful for my girlfriend Sarah. She is the only thing I have that keeps me sane and out of my own head. Without her I would surely be insane by now." She took another sip of coffee. "I am clairvoyant. And I can tell you about your book!" she said in a excited manner.

Jack glanced at me, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Mekiah smiled. "What, do you really think I am awake at 5:30 in the morning because I want to watch the sun rise? Do I _LOOK_ like a fucking _morning person_ to you guys?" She narrowed her eyes in a serious manner then laughed. "I knew you were coming. And I have some things to tell you, and to show you." She stood up and walked toward the door. "Come on in, but please be quiet. If you wake Sarah up, there is nothing I can do to help you."


	13. Learning the Truth

We entered the house and looked around at the bookshelves. The place reminded me of the store, there were bookshelves lining the walls, and all of the books were old and warn. Most of them were leather, some looked like some other kind of material, skin of some sort, but I wasn't about to ask what it was. A vast majority of the books were occult based, and Jack looked like a kid in a candy store. He was wide-eyed and hopeful, and engrossed in looking at everything. I stood back and watched him, drinking in his presence and realizing how gorgeous he is. My eyes darted to Mekiah, where I saw her watching me watch Jack.

"You really love him, don't you?" she asked with a smile.  
"Yeah, I do. He is amazing." I told her.  
"I can tell just by the way you look at him" she said, her eyes softening and crinkling at the sides.

Jack heard our little conversation and turned to us. "Mark isn't too bad himself," he interjected, smiling and looking at me longingly.

"You guys are lucky. Not everyone can just randomly meet their soulmate."  
"Soulmate?" Jack and I said in unison.  
"Mhmm! You guys have a set path together, you were destined to meet and fall in love. That doesn't happen to everyone, you know. You also have a purpose, you two as a team. Things will happen to you and between you, but you MUST remember that you are meant to be together. Remember my words during hard times when you don't think your relationship will last, when you think you have made a mistake by loving the other."

We listened intently, Jack and I eying one another questioningly, but we said nothing. Mekiah continued, "I really shouldn't be telling you these things, because my words may have an impact on the future. I can't say anything more, but just remember that no matter what happens with the book, your personal lives or your future, that is the way it was supposed to be. Now, did you bring the book?"

"Yeah. It's in the car," I said, turning to the door. "Be right back."  
I went to the car and grabbed the lock box, hefting it out of the back seat and walking back into the house. When I came in, Jack and Mekiah were laughing loudly, and I saw another form come creeping around the doorway leading to a long hall.

"What the fuck are you doing, Kia? It's like... 6:00 in the morning!" an angry but soft voice scolded.  
Mekiah smiled wide. "Sarah! You're awake! We have guests..."  
"Yeah, I am awake, no thanks to you and your friends..." Sarah snapped, walking into the kitchen and pouring a cup of coffee. "Well, I'm up now, so who are you guys?"

"I am Mark and this is my boyfriend Jack," I said, smiling as I looked at him. That was the first time I introduced him as my boyfriend, and it made something stir inside me, giving me a warm feeling. Jack felt it too, I imagine, because he I saw a huge smile spread across his face, and he looked at me with loving eyes.

"Sarah, but I'm sure you already knew that." She said, a little warmer now that she had some coffee in her. "And why are you here at the ass crack of dawn?"  
"Remember a few days ago I told you we would be having some visitors soon? This is them." Mekiah told her, and Sarah smiled, softening her features. Once she realized we weren't just some boisterous friends of her lover, she relaxed and let out a small "ahhh" sound.

"Sarah is very supportive of my 'gifts'. She knows I can't control it, and she helps me manage everything that happens to me. I am some kind of psychic magnet, and we get many visitors... People just like you that become drawn to my power." She explained. "The older I get, the more powerful it becomes, and the stronger the psychic magnet gets. I was on the verge of insanity because of it, and when I met Sarah, she helped me learn how to deal with it and how to get out of my own head. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to have hundreds, maybe thousands of people's lives and problems in your own head? Hearing voices and seeing faces twenty four hours a day?" She shook her head and looked down, sipped her coffee, then looked back up to Sarah. "I would probably be dead or medicated in an asylum if it weren't for her." Mekiah looked at Sarah, who walked to her and wrapped her arms around Mekiah from behind and just held her.

Mekiah took a deep breath and blew it out. "Ok, down to business. Can you open the box?" She asked, looking at me. I took my keys out of my pocket and open the lock. I took the book out of the box and laid it on the table. I set the heavy, metal lock box on the floor under the table, while Jack untied the thin leather and opened the cloth. Mekiah just stood and stared at the book, her hand fluttering then hovering over the top of it, like she was seeing if it was hot. Her other hand joined in, both hands hovering over the top of the book, her eyes closed.

"Mark can open it," Jack said.  
"No need," Mekiah said quickly. "The less this book is opened, the better."  
Jack eyed me with a worried look. Mekiah took a breath, and her closed eyelids fluttered. "Doesn't matter, you already let it out." She opened her eyes and looked at me. "It looks like you" she said quietly.  
"Yeah. I have seen it twice." I told her. Mekiah's eyes opened wide, and her mouth opened slightly.  
"Well, I saw it once. The other time I just heard it, but it had my voice." I told her.  
"It was in a dream, and I was in the dream, too... I mean, we were in the same dream." Jack said.  
Mekiah looked at Jack and said "your accent is fucking adorable!" and she laughed. "Anyway, what you experienced is called 'the Dreamscape'."

"The Dreamscape is a very powerful and often wonderful place, but it can be a place of nightmares. Those which are sensitive to the flux and flow of the universe can enter easily, and people can meet there. Think of it as a... supernatural meeting place." Mekiah explained.

"What you two experienced was a simultaneous meeting in the Dreamscape. I can't say if Jack entered Mark's dream or if Mark entered Jack's, but I am guessing it was Mark's since he is the one affected by the book." She shifted her weight and looked at me. "Tell me what this... what did you say he called himself? Dark? Yeah... tell me what he said to you."

I closed my eyes and lowered my head. "I dunno, there were a thousand voices in my head. I heard so many things, but what stood out the most was the insults. He was trying to drain me, trying to hurt me. He said I was worthless, said I didn't deserve to live, said Jack didn't love me..." Jack took my hand into his when I said those last words. "He told me he was me, my dark, insane side."

"Lies" Mekiah told me in a reassuring manner. She looked at me, "You..." then looked at Jack, "Neither of you should believe anything it says. It is trying to wear you down, trying to beat down your psyche. Don't let it win. We can beat it, get it back to where it belongs, but it may take some time."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Jack asked her.  
"Just... breathe." She smiled and took a deep breath with her eyes closed.


	14. Sleep is for the Weak

We talked into the afternoon, Mekiah explaining many unknown things to us about the book, about Dark, and what its purpose was. Jack was taking notes on his little notepad, like he always does when he doesn't want to forget something. Sarah made lunch for us. Not all of the conversation was about the book and Dark, we spoke about many things like video games, music and movies.

All of us exchanged phone numbers, then Jack and I left just before 5:00 that evening. We thanked them for their hospitality and waved as we pulled away.

"They were really nice!" Jack said as we drove away. "Not everyone would just take a couple random dudes into their home and treat them so kindly." He was beaming about our new friends. "It's a shame they live so far away."

"I know. Those are people I would love to hang out with on a regular basis," I told him.

We got home around 3:00 am, both of us exhausted from not sleeping. When we got into the house, we just ditched our backpacks on the living room floor, I put the lock box with the book in the trunk of my car, and we both dragged ourselves upstairs. We stripped out of our jeans, and I called the shower. Jack sat on my bed with his boxers on, whining about wanting to get in the shower first.

"Well, why don't you join me?" I asked, eyeing him suggestively. He smiled and jumped up, bouncing to the bathroom.

The hot water felt amazing. Both of us were exhausted, and I honestly just wanted to get clean and go to bed, curl up with my Jackaboy and sleep until I was dead. Jack snapped me out of my daydream by yelling loudly (in that cute way that Jack does) "Hey, ya bastard! You're hogging all the hot water!"

I wrapped my arms around his wet body and we spun in a circle, doing some kind of weird dance to the hot water gods. Jack was under the water now, his soaking wet, green hair hanging in his eyes. He used his hands to sweep his hair back, and the water was dripping down his face. I couldn't get over how stunning he was at that moment. He looked up at me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I couldn't hold back, he was just so gorgeous. I pressed my mouth to his, tasting him, wanting to stay like this forever. He didn't break the kiss, in fact, it was just the opposite. He kissed me deeper, and I could tell he was just as hungry as I was.

I finally broke our kiss and said "we really need to just wash up and get some sleep. We have to work in a few hours, and I would really like to get a few hours of sleep in. It is going to be a long day tomorrow."

"you're right, I'm sorry. I just... you are so fucking sexy. I want you always. And here you are, soaking wet and glistening, standing naked and vulnerable right in front of me... I would be stupid if I didn't at least _try_."

I chuckled. "We work together and live together. I think we have plenty of time. We need sleep."  
"Alright... but don't be surprised if I ravage you in your sleep!" he said to me as he kissed my chin.

We both got washed up and dried off, and walked into my bedroom where we both collapsed onto my king sized bed. This was the first time we actually laid down together in a bed, and it felt like heaven. I am bigger than him, and when we curled up with each other, it was a perfect fit. Jack whisper-mumbled to me, half asleep, "I like that you are the big spoon..." and his breathing evened out. He was asleep.

I closed my eyes, and although I was dead tired and I felt like I could sleep for a week, I just couldn't drift off. It was a mix of not wanting to miss a single second of being close to Jack, thinking about the things Mekiah said to me, remembering the dream and the awful things Dark said to me, and seeing his eyes in the darkness before I nearly killed us in the car. I lifted my arm from Jack's side and scooted out of the bed. I threw some boxers and sweat pants on and went downstairs. I looked at the clock and saw it said 6:51. I grabbed my phone and texted Tom.

* * *

 _ **M:**_ _Tom, We won't be in first thing. A bunch of shit happened  
after we got out of the ditch, and we just got home a few hours ago.  
We may be in later if we come in at all._

 _ **T:**_ _Is everything OK? You and Jack OK?_

 _ **M**_ _: Yeah, we are fine, all is good with us, but that book I found is  
some bad shit. Something happened, Tom. I didn't want to  
tell you about it, but I have to. I read from it, and I released  
something. We met some people that are helping us._

 _ **T:**_ _So what was the book then? Did you ever get  
that figured out? And what do you mean you  
'released' something?_

 _ **M:**_ _We still don't know what it is. I will get back to you  
on that one._

 _ **T:**_ _Just be careful, and let me know if I can help. I do  
have a teeny bit of occult knowledge, little brother._

 _ **M**_ _: Thanks, Tom._

 _ **T**_ _: Mhmm. TTYL_

* * *

I turned on the TV, but nothing was on. I watched a couple Game Grumps videos, but I was still unable to relax. I decided to go for a walk, get some air, clear my head, maybe catch a few Pokemon.

I left a note on the fridge for Jack in case he woke up and couldn't find me, I grabbed my keys, locked the door and started walking. It was weird to not have the brain magnet active... I didn't know where to go, so I just walked. I opened Pokemon Go on my phone, and started following the trail of a Blastoise. There were a lot of good Pokemon out right now, and I walked much farther than I intended. I was feeling better, clear headed but very sleepy, and I looked around to see where I was. I had a good 30 minute walk before I could get home, so I headed back.

When I got home, I figured Jack would still be sleeping since he didn't text me, so I let myself in, being very careful not to make too much noise. Jack needed sleep, and I would feel awful if I woke him. I was ready to just curl up next to his warm body and drift off myself. I closed and locked the door and kicked off my shoes. I heard a muffled noise from upstairs, and some movement. I stopped dead in my tracks and listened, scared that I woke Jack up. I started tiptoeing up the stairs, when I heard Jack say "Mark... ahhh god, don't stop... yeah just like that...".


	15. Please Don't Die!

I ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I burst into the bedroom, not knowing what I was going to do after that. "JACK!" I yelled, Jack heard the door burst open and heard me yell. Jack was struggling to get up, looking confused and frightened as fuck, but Dark was holding him down. "Mark? MARK!? WHATHEFUCKINGFUCK!? Mark! Get him off me!" Jack screamed, looking at me, then at Dark, who was straddling him, holding his arms, not letting him up.

I ran to the bed and grabbed Dark by the hair, yanking its head back so Jack could get out from under it, but Dark didn't let go. He was strong, and I was no match for it. With a flick of its hand, Dark sent me stumbling backwards, and I rammed into the dresser hard, ass first, smashing my head on the mirror above the dresser, shattering it. Dark moved its legs up and pinned Jack's arms under its knees, then wrapped its hands around Jack's throat. I could hear Jack making little gasping noises, trying desperately to breathe. I let out an animal roar and attacked him again, wrapping my hands around his wrists, trying to pull him off of my lover. I screamed at him "I AM THE ONE YOU WANT! LET HIM GO, YOU SONOFABITCH!"

Dark looked back at Jack and growled "but he is so sweet, he tastes so good..." and it smashed its mouth onto Jack's, kissing him in a rough and disgusting manner. Jack's face was purple now, and the veins on his head were bulging. His eyes were wide, and I could see him struggling to stay conscious.

I looked around desperately and did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed a floor lamp and smacked Dark in the back of the head, and I heard it connect with a sharp 'CRACK'. This only managed to piss it off. It let go of Jack's throat and I heard Jack gasp and choke, desperately trying to catch his breath. Dark stood up and looked me in my eyes and took a step toward me. I drew my hand back and threw the hardest punch I could, connecting with Dark's nose. Blood started pouring out of its nose, but other than that the punch didn't phase him a bit. Dark laughed. "Mark... you are weak! I told you, you are NOTHING!" it spat, looking disgusted.

"You know, I should thank you, Mark. Without you I would still be wrapped within the darkness..." he stepped toward Jack, "...and unable to taste this delectable little fruit..." It bent down to Jack and licked his neck. Jack moved quickly and bashed his head forward, connecting with Dark's forehead. Blood poured down Jack's face, his head bearing a wide gash. Blood was running down Dark's face as well, but I couldn't tell if it was Jack's or its own. Dark laughed, a horrible and chilling sound. "I am done with these little games," Dark said, and grabbed Jack by the throat again, this time with one hand. Dark lifted Jack straight out of my bed and started walking, forcing Jack to walk backwards.

"NO! Please, stop! I will do whatever you want!" I begged, my hands held up in front of me as Dark walked toward me, Jack's feet now lifted off of the ground, still being dragged by the throat. Dark turned sharply, and my entire world stopped. Everything was in slow motion as I watched Dark pull his arm back and fling the only person I ever cared about toward the window, like a ragdoll. My heart shattered with the window, I saw shards of glass go flying, sparkling in the sunlight, some with tiny drops and smears of blood on them. I let out a roar as I dropped to my knees. Dark turned to me and grabbed me by my hair, forcing me to stand up. It looked me in my eyes and warned "stop trying to make me go back. I have... plans." It ran its tongue over its top teeth, then jumped out of the shattered window.

I ran downstairs and out the door, screaming Jack's name the entire way. I got outside and dropped down to Jack, lifting his bloody head into my hands. I scooped him up and put my ear to his chest. A heartbeat! He was still alive! I held him close to me, whispering to him that he would be OK, begging him to please be OK. I heard a siren in the distance, and I assumed one of my neighbors called 911. I held my love, rocked him, whispering into his ear that he would be OK. "Please don't die, baby. I love you. You are gonna be OK... I'm... so sorry..."


	16. Coma

I had never been so terrified, ever. The ride in the ambulance was the longest 12 minutes of my life. I sat back, sobbing, watching the EMTs work on my love. I was wringing my hands together, biting my nails and running my fingers through my hair. I couldn't touch him, I couldn't get in their way. I just sat there. Helpless. Watching the love of my life fight for his.

I pulled my phone out and texted Tom, and I knew I should text Mekiah to tell her what happened, as if she didn't already know.

 _ **M**_ _: I am in an ambulance right now. I'm OK, it's Jack_

 ** _T:_** _WTF happened? What hospital? I'm on my way!_

 _ **M**_ _: Henry Ford Hospital. He fell out of a second story window_

 _ **T**_ _: OMW. you can fill me in when I get there. He's gonna be OK, bro_

 _ **M**_ _: kk. And I hope so_

I blew out a breath and looked up when I felt the ambulance slow down and turn. We were pulling into the hospital. 'Finally' I thought to myself. When we slowed, I looked out the tiny back windows and I saw Dark standing at the end of the parking lot. I jumped up and pressed my face to the back window, but when I looked again, it was gone. I rubbed my eyes.

"Sir, we have to get him out in a second, please sit down." the EMT told me. She looked at me in my eyes and said "hey, he's gonna be OK..." She put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. We pulled to a stop at the doors of the ER, and the ambulance doors opened from the other side. Two hospital employees grabbed the stretcher and pulled Jack out. He already had tubes and wires poking out of him, and bandages that were already bled through on his head and chest.

The EMTs and nurses were rushing, pushing Jack through the doorway and exchanging information, some of which I understood, and some I didn't. "26 year old male, fall from second story window, BP 87/54, pulse ox 89, morphine drip 30mg..." They trailed off as they rushed him through two large doors, but I was stopped. "Sir, you can't go back here..."  
"But! He's..."  
"Please, sir. Let us take care of him. I promise, we will do everything we can..."

* * *

I sat in the waiting room for what felt like days. Tom and Lyric came in and found me immediately. I told them everything, about going to the river, about Jack's translation, about the dream, Dark, going to meet Mekiah, why we got ran off the road... I spilled it all. Lyric hugged me and Tom clapped me on the back, pulling me close to him in his left arm. "It's gonna be OK, Mark," Tom said to me. "I wish you would have brought me in on this sooner. Dad had some writings and papers about the Ars Almadel. I remember seeing them in some old boxes when we brought all of his stuff to the store. I will go through it all until I find it." I nodded and thanked my brother.

Lyric brought me a cup of coffee, and I was grateful. She put her hand on my knee, and I just couldn't keep it together. I just started sobbing into my hands. She put a hand on my back and said "Shhhh... oh, honey, it's gonna be ok..."

" _I SWEAR, IF ONE MORE PERSON TELLS ME IT'S GONNA BE OK, I'M GONNA LOSE MY_ _ **SHIT**_ _!_ " I yelled, some people looking at me from across the room. "I'm... I'm sorry. OK, I just..." I broke down, my hands were shaking, I was sobbing hysterically. "He just... walked into my life and became my entire world! I have lived without him my whole life, but now, just being away from him makes me feel... not whole! I feel like I can't even _breathe_ without him!" I exclaimed.

Lyric took my face in her hands and smiled. "That's love, Mark. True love. Soulmate love. And that is how I have felt about Tom since the ninth grade, and guess what?" her eyes softened as she smiled "It doesn't go away..." A tear fell from her left eye, and she swiped it away. She hugged me, and I felt a little better. 

* * *

"Is there some asshole in here that is gonna 'lose his shit'? Because I'm about to tell him something that's gonna make him lose his shit...!" I looked up to see Mekiah and Sarah walking up to me. I smiled. "Hey, you two!" They both hugged me. "But... how did you..." Mekiah tapped herself on the head, and her eyes crinkled as she smiled. I nodded my head.

"When you guys left, I had a really uneasy feeling. I was gonna call you, but Sarah reminded me that I shouldn't intervene. We decided to come here to be here for you instead of preventing it from happening." I was instantly furious with her! "How could you! This could have been prevented?!"

Sarah put a hand up and shushed me. "Mark..." she said softly, "If we would have warned you, it would have been worse tenfold. Please believe me."

Mekiah was kneeling in front of me. She smiled, placed a hand on my knee and said "besides, it's gonna be OK..."

* * *

"Is there anyone out here for Mr. McLoughlin?" a doctor asked, looking around the room. All five of us stood and I rushed over to her. "Is he going to be OK?" I asked.

"I'm going to be honest with you. He lost a lot of blood. He broke a couple of bones, and we had to do surgery to stop some bleeding in his spleen. He was deprived of oxygen, and he hit his head, multiple times. We have him stable now, but..." She looked at the ground, then looked me in the eyes. "Mr. McLoughlin is in a coma."

"A coma? For how long? Will he wake up?" I sobbed, not caring that tears were streaming down my face.  
"We have no idea." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "You can go see him. Talk to him. He can hear you..." She hadn't even finished her sentence before I ran past her. "He is in room 213!" She yelled down the hall after me.


	17. Can You Hear Me?

I got to Jack's room and opened the door. I peeked my head around the corner, and I saw the love of my life laying on a bed with tubes and wires poking out of his tiny body. He was attached to beeping machines. He had tubes down his throat. His left arm was in a cast, as was his left foot. He had a large bandage on his forehead, presumably from when he skullbashed Dark. His face was bruised in places, and I could see tiny cuts with stitches poking out of them. My eyes instantly filled with tears, and I couldn't stop them spilling down my cheeks. My hands covered my mouth, and I let out a little cry of disbelief.

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. 'He can hear you...' I remembered the doctor tell me. I slowly walked to his bedside, and sat in the chair next to him. I took his uncasted hand in mine, and I just held his hand for a moment. I stood up and brushed his green locks out of his closed eyes. I bent and kissed his forehead, and sat back down.

"Can you hear me? I don't know if you can hear me... I'm sorry." I whispered to him. I don't know what I expected, or if I expected anything at all. I waited for something, anything, but it never came. I sighed. "This is my fault, Baby. I should be the one in that bed, not you." I sat there in that chair, staring at Jack's battered face. Tears filled my eyes again, and I covered my face with my hands and just sat there, sobbing.

Almost an hour later I heard a soft tap on the door. "Mark? Can we come in?" Lyric's soft voice asked. "Of course." I said, gesturing for them to come in. "You're a mess, Mark. When's the last time you ate?" lyric asked. "Dunno..." I mumbled.

"There is nothing you can do for him right now. You should go home, Mark. Have something to eat, and get some sleep." She said to me.  
"NO!" I can't leave him alone! I... mean I just... can't leave him here." I said. "I need to be here in case he wakes up." Lyric nodded her head in understanding. Well, Tom and I are going to go home. Just call us if there is ANYTHING you need from us. Anything at all." Tom stood behind her and nodded his head, then he pulled me close and hugged me tight. "We are here, little brother." I nodded and thanked them, and they left.

Mekiah and Sarah were still there. Mekiah pulled up a chair and sat next to Jack, resting her hand on his chest. I watched her hand rise and fall with the sounds of the ventilator, and her eyes were closed. She smiled.

"He's dreaming..." she muttered. "I can just... just barely make them out, but... ahhh. Mark. He is dreaming of you, Mark." She turned to me and opened her eyes. "I have an idea... Let's talk..."

* * *

It took a long time for Mekiah to convince me to leave the hospital, but Sarah promised she would sit with Jack and talk to him while Mekiah and I left. Sarah's phone was fully charged, and she swore she would call if there were any changes, even if he fluttered an eyelid or twitched a finger.

Mekiah and I got into my car and we drove to my house. We went inside and I immediately went to the stairs. "I want to get done with this and get back to him as soon as possible," I told her. "Understood. But Mark, you have to relax, and be receptive, or this won't work."

We went upstairs to my bedroom. Tears welled up in my eyes as I walked in and glass crunched under my feet. I squatted down and picked up a large chunk of mirror off of the floor, then brought my hand to my head. I could feel dried blood and a bump. "I... forgot... I smacked my head... I mean, it threw me back and I..." I rubbed my head again, then looked at Mekiah. "I need to cover this window before we start," I told her, and she nodded.

I walked downstairs and went to the garage, grabbing a large sheet of plywood I had left over from when I tore out and replaced the floor in the bathroom. I hefted it upstairs with some nails and a hammer, and hammered the board over the broken window. While I was downstairs, Mekiah picked up most of the glass and broken mirror, and was vacuuming when I got back up.

"That's good enough for now," she told me. "Take your shoes off and get in bed" she said as she sat down on the bed and scooted over to the other side. I complied, but I wasn't holding it together well. I noticed blood on the pillow, but I didn't care. As soon as I laid my head down, I could smell Jack's scent on the pillow, and I burst into tears. Mekiah scooped me up and held me as I unleashed a flood of tears on her Dragon Ball Z hoodie. This wasn't the original plan, but it worked just as well, because I fell asleep cradled in her arms. 

* * *

"Jack?" I looked around, but I couldn't see him. All I could see were puffy, pink clouds, orange skies and large, leafy trees blowing in a soft breeze. "JACK! Are you here?!"

Nothing. I listened intently, trying to pick any trace of sound. All I heard was the breeze rustling through the trees. I started walking, looking around. Nothing. I stopped and turned around, and suddenly I was standing inside a hospital waiting room. "Jack?" I said, as I looked around. There was no one in the room, and the lights were out. One single overhead light was flickering down a dark hallway. I started walking toward the light, when I heard something crunch under my feet. Glass. I continued walking, the crunching of the glass getting louder with each step I took. "Jack, are you here?!" I called out, but no one answered. I heard a laugh behind me, and I spun around, but no one was there. I turned back around, and I saw Mekiah standing under the flickering light. She was trying to call out to me, but I couldn't hear her. All I could hear were wheezing, gurgling sounds, and when I approached her, she was just staring forward, her throat slit. I was absolutely terrified, and I froze in place. Blood was pouring and bubbling from the gash in her throat, but she was still trying to tell me something. She raised a hand to her throat, looked at the blood on her hand and pointed to a hospital room. I could smell the awful, metallic stench of her blood as it continued to flood out of her, draining down her hoodie and pooling around her feet as she stood, still moving her lips as if speaking, still pointing to the door.

I walked to the door Mekiah pointed to and peeked around the corner. The room was a dazzling white, almost too bright to look at. I closed my eyes and whispered "Jack?". My voice caught in my throat, and I saw him, my love, laying in a hospital bed. There were no tubes or wires here, only him lying there, peaceful and beautiful. I approached the bed and touched Jack's face, and his eyes opened. "Mark! Baby, you came for me!" He whispered, his eyes the brightest blue I had ever seen.

"Of course I did, gorgeous," I told him. I ran my thumb down his cheek and kissed him gently, so softly, and he welcomed my affection by kissing me deeper. Once our kiss ended, he looked up at me and asked "what happened? Why are we in a hospital?"

"We are dreaming, babe. Remember what Mekiah said about the Dreamscape?"  
"Mhmm"  
"Well, we are here."  
"Oh."  
"But, Jack... you really are in a hospital."  
"I am? Why?" He looked sad and confused.  
Tears filled my eyes again, and one fell from my face and hit Jack's pillow. It sounded like a gunshot, but neither of us flinched. "Baby, I am so sorry. This is all my fault," I sobbed to him.  
"No... Mark, please don't. Don't blame yourself. We were suppose to do this, remember?" His words hit home, and made me feel better. "Besides, if this is a dream, then I can do this!" Jack threw back the blanket and sat up. He looked up at me and said "see! All better!" and he hopped out of the bed.

Somehow, in my dream, Jack sleeps in jeans, a T shirt and Nikes.

I scooped up his tiny frame and just held him. I inhaled, drinking in his scent, wanting to bask in this moment. I squeezed him tight, and he started coughing. "Mark!" he wheezed, "Can't... breathe..." I laughed as I set him back down to his feet.

"Come on, I said as I took him by the hand. "We have work to do."


	18. Finding Our Way

We walked, hand in hand, down the hospital corridor. We had no idea which way we were going, but we were together. I could talk to my soulmate, and he could talk back. "Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" I asked him.

"I can... most of it is fuzzy, though. I remember hearing you scream and bust in the door, and I was... Oh... oh god... Baby, I... " He stopped walking and turned to me. "Mark, I didn't know..." Tears welled up in his beautiful eyes, sadness overtaking his face. "Oh, god, Mark... I'm so sorry... I didn't know!"

"Hey! No, Jack, it's OK... I know, Baby... I know..." I took him in my arms and held him as he sobbed on my shoulder. "I betrayed you! I'm so sorry!" He sobbed.

"You couldn't have known, love. How could you? You were sleeping, and he looks just like me. You couldn't have known. He lies. He did it to hurt me, to hurt us both." I comforted him.

"But... it wasn't you and..." He took a step back and looked at me, tears streaming down his face. "God, Mark, I feel terrible..."

"OK, I get it, but we don't have time for this now, Jack," I told him sharply. "Either of us could wake up any second. Listen to me. I need you to wake up. I need you to try, I mean REALLY try to wake up. You are in a hospital, in a coma."

"How..." Jack stopped and looked at me, trying to understand what I told him. "How are you here, then? How are _we_ here? Together?" He looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"Mekiah," I told him. "It was her idea to try to get us together here. I am actually at home, in _our_ bed, with her. She is watching me, and Sarah is at the hospital watching over you. We have some time together, and we can figure this out, but you can't do that from a hospital bed, and this isn't exactly the easiest way for me to communicate with you, sweetheart," I told him.

"I don't even know where to begin, how to try to wake up," he told me. "What do I do?"  
I sighed. "I have no idea. Honestly, I am just happy that I got to get in here with you." I hugged him tight. "Jack, Baby, I need you to wake up. Dark can get to us through dreams, you know that. He could be here right now, watching us, listening to us. He could be at our house, waiting to kill Mekiah and get to me while I am sleeping. He could be at the hospital to hurt Sarah or... you..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about it. I shook my head to get rid of the awful thoughts plaguing my mind.

"I will try, Mark, but I can't make any promises," he told me.  
Just then, I heard some kind of ringing pulse. It seemed far away, but sounded like it was getting closer. I started looking around, trying to see what the sound was. I was immediately on guard. "Mark?" Jack said, "what's wrong?"  
The sound was getting closer, louder with each passing second. "No... no, not now! Too soon!" I whispered frantically. Jack was looking around, confused.

"Don't you hear that?" I asked, standing closer to Jack, wrapping my arms around him, trying to protect him, not caring what may happen to me.

"Hear what? I can't hear anything, Babe..." he said to me. I was frantically looking around. "Mark?"  
"We don't have anymore time," I told him, as soon as I realized what the sound was. I scooped him up in my arms and kissed him deeply, kissed him in a way lovers kiss if they don't know the next time they will be together. The kiss was long, and I poured my entire being into trying to fill Jack with as much of my love as I could "Jack, look at me." He did. "I love you... so much," I told him, holding on to him, clutching him as if I would die if I let him go.

"I love you too, Mark. For always..."  
I faded from Jack's embrace.

* * *

"A fucking alarm clock? You set a FUCKING ALARM CLOCK, MEKIAH?!" I was furious with her when I woke up. Sitting up, I noticed that she had changed her clothes and there was a tray of food on the bedside table next to me.

"Mark, you were out for twenty one hours," she said to me.  
"WHAT?! How?! It seemed like I was with Jack for 5 minutes!" I rubbed my face and my eyes.  
"How long had it been since you slept last?" She asked me. I had to think back. I didn't sleep at all the night we went to her house, the night Dark came... It had been over twenty four hours since I got any sleep at all, and the last sleep I got was the night I had the dream with Jack and Dark.

"My god..." I said out loud. "Mhmm" she said, in a very chipper manner. "Your body needed that sleep, kiddo. The time you spent with Jack may have seemed short because most of the time you were asleep, you were way too deep to even access the Dreamscape."

"Jack," I said, looking up at her. "How is he? Is he awake?" I asked, my eyes pleading with hers.  
"Unfortunately, no," she said to me. "If he woke up, I wouldn't have let you sleep. Sarah, Tom and Lyric have been taking turns sitting with him." She sat on the side of the bed and took my hand in hers. "Why don't you have something to eat, take a shower, and let's go see your boy, OK?"


	19. Welcome Back!

I got up and got myself together. I took a shower and Mekiah made me eat, though I wasn't hungry. I couldn't taste whatever it was I shoved in my face; it reminded me of cardboard. All I could think about was going to see Jack... but there was a lingering thought in the back of my brain... I wanted to kill that Dark motherfucker.

Seeing Jack in my... in _our..._ dream woke something up inside of me. Something I didn't know I was capable of. I needed revenge. I had a taste for blood, and I was going to do whatever I had to do to take that fucker down. Once I got myself together, I gathered some things and threw them in my backpack because I honestly had no idea what was going to happen, or when the next time I was going to be home.

On the way to the hospital, Mekiah and I spoke of many things, important things. We made an agreement that Sarah and Mekiah would come stay with Jack and I indefinitely when... if... he woke up. I knew I would need help taking care of him and having to work. "What about you guys? Don't you have jobs?" I asked.

Mekiah just looked at me out of the corner of her eye and told me they had no need to work, they had more money than they knew what to do with due to an inheritance. She also told me that was how she got the farmhouse and the collection of books. "Some of the books in my house are worth hundreds of thousands... maybe even into a million dollars... to the right collector," she informed me.

"Must be nice," I threw at her. I wasn't hurting for money, but it would be nice to never have to worry about working or bills. "It is," she said. "Believe me, I don't take it for granted."

We got to the hospital, and I all but ran in, my heart about to burst from missing Jack. When we got there Sarah was curled up on a fold out cot reading a book. She looked up and smiled at me. "it lives!" she said, giggling. I smiled at her. "Hello to you, too, Sarah," I laughed. "How is he today?"

"No change. But that is a good thing!" she said. "If he were to be struggling while dreaming, we would have to start worrying, but he has been as peaceful as a lamb."

I walked over to Jack's bed and kissed his forehead. The large bandage was gone now, and I could see the twenty-seven stitches that kept the gash on his head closed. He was going to have a nasty scar... but the thought of it made me smile. "Dudes dig scars, too," I whispered into his ear and smiled. I, like always, brushed back a lock of green hair that was hanging a little too long and covering an eye.

I sat in the chair and took Jack's hand in mine, Sarah standing up and stretching her arms above her head. "Let's go get some coffee, Kia," she said, and they joined hands and left me alone with my Jackaboy.

When I heard the door clack shut, I turned back to Jack. "OK, Jackaboy, I know you can hear me. You have to listen to me. Wake up." I stared at his face. Nothing. Was I actually expecting that to work? I honestly don't know. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, and lowered my head. I lifted his hand to my forehead, and sat like that for a moment, when I heard a soft knock on the door.

The door opened, and a dark-haired nurse poked her head in. "Oh... sorry," she said to me. "I am use to Sarah or Lyric being here," as she stepped through the door. "I have to check his vitals and give him some more meds," she told me, looking at his chart.  
"It's no problem," I told her. "Are you Jack's regular nurse?" I asked.  
"Mhmm. I'm Kara, the day shift ICU nurse," she said. I was going to offer my hand, but she had already started putting gloves on. "I have been taking care of this little lamb since he got here. I remember you from the day he came in, but you were an absolute mess, you probably don't remember me," she said, then stopped fiddling with a plastic package that held a syringe. She looked at me, and I could see her cheeks flush pink. "... I didn't mean... sorry..." she said, letting out a huff of air and lowering her eyes. "I didn't mean you _looked_ a mess, because you didn't... Well, you did because you were bloody and... I mean, you were upset..." Her eyes grew wide, and her face grew even more pink. She spun around, visibly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I sound like..." She stopped again and looked at me, a small smile on her face. "This is why I work in ICU with coma patients. I am _obviously_ not a people person, nor one for small talk or conversations." She laughed nervously. "Can I get over to this side, please?" she said to me. "I need to reach his IV."

I stood and moved to the other side of the bed, watching as she took Jack's blood pressure and gave him medicine in his IV line. I decided to step out while she was working so I wasn't in her way. "I'm just going to grab a coffee while you do your thing. I'll be back in a few," I told her. She nodded and I stepped out of the room, not closing the door all the way. I reached in my pocket for my phone so I could text Mekiah, but I left it in Jack's room. I turned to go back in the room, but as I started pulling the door a little, I heard Kara speaking in a soft voice. I held my breath, not meaning to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help it.

"So, how's my favorite green-haired patient today?" she chuckled. "OK, OK, you got me. You are my only green-haired patient..." I smiled a little. "So, guess who I met today? _Maaarrrk!"_ She said my name in a way that a school girl would if she were teasing a friend about a secret crush. "He seems really nice, and I can tell he cares for you a lot."

"Are you comfy?" She asked him, almost expecting an answer. I heard what sounded like a pillow fluff and she said "there". I heard a plastic package crinkle and her voice say "OK, Jack, don't hate me, but I have to change your feeding tube. This sucks, and I'm sorry if it is uncomfortable..." I heard some movement, some clicking and tapping sounds and what sounded like a small piece of plastic being set on a tray. "I made fried chicken for dinner last night. Ray and the kids loved it! Won't it be great when you can sit down and have a nice dinner with Mark? Yeah, it will be great, right? You should just wake up so you can do that. Mark is here, you know. I don't know if he has talked to you since he's been here, but he was the one holding your hand. He seems like a really great guy, you know? He cares about you a lot, and he really wants you to wake up..." I could feel the tears fill my eyes as she spoke to Jack as if he were sitting up talking back to her. "Mark went to get a coff..." She trailed off as I walked away from the door.

* * *

Mekiah and Sarah were walking back to the room when they saw me walking toward them. Sarah handed a coffee to me, and asked where I was going. "Nurse is in with Jack. She is... really amazing."

Mekiah smiled and said "yeah, she is good with her patients, the conscious ones... not so much."  
"You picked up on that, too, eh?" I asked, smiling.  
"C'mon. Let's get back to Jack. It never takes Kara long."

We got back in the room and Kara was packing up her med cart. She smiled at us. "He is all yours," she said and smiled.  
"Hey, can I ask you something, Kara?"  
"Sure!"  
"How long do you think he will be in this coma?" I asked seriously, hoping she had seen enough to give me an answer.  
"I really can't say. I have seen people wake up after a few hours, some a few years. It is up to him." She said, throwing her gloves in the trash. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but I honestly just... don't know."

I sighed and sat down on the chair, placing my hand on Jack's cheek. Mekiah was asking Kara about Jack's wounds and how long he would have to be in the casts, when I felt something wet on my hand. I looked down to see a tear roll down from Jack's open eye.


	20. Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty

"JACK!" My face lit up like a million suns. Jack looked at me sleepily, blinked a couple times, then started gagging and choking on the tubes down his throat. "KARA! HE'S AWAKE! KARA! PLEASE! HE'S..." I started screaming for her as Jack started freaking out, panicking and frantically trying to pull the tubes out of his nose and mouth. The girls were standing near the door, and Kara was there in seconds, holding Jack's hands and shushing him.

"It's OK, baby, I'm right here," I told him, holding his hands while Kara hastily put gloves on and started removing the tubes from his throat. Jack's eyes were racked with fear. "Look at me, Jackaboy. I'm right here. Look at me. Just focus on me..." Kara worked quickly to get the tubes out of his mouth. Once they were out, Jack started coughing and gasping, trying to catch his breath and remember how to breathe on his own. I placed my hand on his chest, and tears were streaming down my face.

"Maa..." he tried to say my name, but it came out as a little whispery squeak and he started coughing again. "Slow down, killer," I said to him, scooping him in my arms and holding him, "I'm here. I'm right here..."

Mekiah and Sarah took a few steps closer, watching with tears streaming down their cheeks, and huge smiles on their faces. I tossed my phone to Sarah and asked her to call Tom. They stepped out into the hallway to make the call.

Kara got on the phone, and I heard her say words, but I was in too much of a daze and distracted by Jack to listen. I caught the words 'doctor', 'McLoughlin', 'awake', 'ventilator', and 'breathing normally'. She came back over and took his blood pressure. She saw Jack take a breath as if he were going to try to talk, but she stopped him by putting her hand up in front of him. "Please, sweetie, don't try to talk. You will just choke and gag. You have had tubes down your throat for days," she told him, and he sighed with displeasure. Jack made a motion with his hand that he was thirsty, making an invisible cup and holding it to his mouth, as if he were drinking air.

Kara got him a small paper cup with water, but stopped short just before handing it to him. " _Small_ sips, do you hear me, Jack. SMALL." Jack nodded in understanding, and sipped the water gratefully. He still choked on it.

"How do you feel?" Kara asked, "Do you feel sick? Jack shook his head 'no'. "Tired?" 'Yes'. "Do you hurt?" 'Yes'. "Where? Can you point?" Jack lifted the arm with the cast, and bonked himself in the head. He looked at the cast and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and frustration. Then he lifted his right arm and pointed to his head first, then his broken arm, abdomen, throat, then leg. "Yeah... makes sense," she said. "You have some stitches in your head, hun, so be careful. You broke your ulna down near your wrist, your fibula near your ankle, and you had surgery on your spleen. Your throat hurts from the tubes and the fact that someone was choking you," Kara told him. Jack's eyes widened and he looked at me, his eyes pleading and desperate for an explanation. "They know about the home invasion, and how the _robber_ didn't know we were home," I said to Jack, winking and placing a finger to my lips in a 'shhh' manner, letting him know the story I told the hospital. Kara gave Jack some Morphine in his IV line, then adjusted his IV drip to give him a steady flow of the drug so he could stay out of pain.

"It was Dark..." I said to him, then quickly shifted my eyes toward Kara, who was washing her hands. "He threw you out of our bedroom window. Do you remember anything?" I asked. He crinkled up his eyebrows, trying to think. Then sudden realization washed over his face when the events of the fight with Dark came flooding back to him. He nodded 'yes'. He pointed at me, then made a circle with his thumb and pointer finger, holding the last 3 fingers up... 'you OK?' I nodded. "Other than a bump on the melon, I'm golden."

Jack's doctor came into the room, her eyes smiling, happy to see Jack's eyes open. "It's really great to see you awake!" she said, looking over his chart. Kara moved to his bed and raised it so Jack could sit up. She asked if he was comfortable, and he nodded, making a little 'mhmm' sound.

The doctor and Kara fussed over him for a while, writing in his chart, checking his pupils and adjusting medications. She told him to take his time trying to talk, and not to drink too fast, then finally, after what seemed like forever, the doctor gave Kara instructions for a few tests she wanted done, then left Jack's room, leaving Kara and I with Jack.

"Mark..." Jack whispered. He was able to whisper now without coughing, but he didn't try to overdo it... I imagine his throat hurt like hell from the tubes, coughing and nearly being choked to death. He took a sip of water. I looked to him and he whispered "I love you, ya big goober. I'm so glad you were the first person I got to see when I woke up."

"OHHHHHMIGOSH!" Kara squealed. "I didn't know you were Irish! Oh, that is just adorable! I can't wait till I come in tomorrow so I can talk to you more," she fussed, looking at me, then blushing, apologizing once again. Jack blushed as well, but I chuckled and told her it was fine.

I pressed my lips to his, gently placing a hand on his face. He looked at me and smiled. I stared into his gorgeous eyes, drinking in the sight of them just being open. It amazed me how much I took for granted every day; things as simple as looking my love in the eyes or being able to hold a conversation with him.

Mekiah and Sarah came in as Kara was finishing up some paperwork. Kara said she would be back at 9:00 to see if Jack needed an adjustment on his pain medication and to clean the wounds on his head and his surgical incision. Mekiah told me Tom and Lyric were on their way.

* * *

The girls, my brother and Lyric visited for a while, but I could tell that Jack waned to get some rest, so I shooed them out of his room and told them to go home. We were finally alone, and I, as carefully as I could, crawled into Jack's bed with him. We snuggled, spooning the best we could with Jack's casts and his IV lines. I told him about the scar he would have on his forehead, and he smiled and told me that "dudes dig scars, too..."

I propped myself up on my elbow and said "I whispered that to you while you were unconscious!"  
"I know. I remember. I could hear you."  
"Really? Do you remember everything you heard?"  
"No, only some of the things you said to me, some of the things Sarah said, and I remember my nurse... what's her name? Kayla? No... Kara! She talked to me the most. But I knew you were here. It was so hard for me to wake up. It was like a nightmare that you know you are having, but one you can't wake yourself up from," he told me. "The best way I can describe it is like heading toward a door that you know you have to walk out of to wake up, but there are thousands of doors, and you don't know which one is the right one. Some of them just lead to dreams, some of them lead to pure darkness, and some of them lead to me being able to listen and hear, but unable to speak..." He trailed off, sounding exhausted.

I ran my fingers through his hair as he drifted off to sleep. He whispered something about me being the big spoon again, which brought a smile to my face. I kissed him gently on the back of the neck, closing my eyes and savoring the feeling of my lips on his skin. I panicked a couple of times and woke him up just to make sure he was going to wake back up, but once he reassured me that he was OK, I curled up next to him and relaxed a bit. It felt so nice to be holding him again, and I basked in his warmth for a while, holding him and stroking his hair. He sighed in his sleep and whispered to me "I missed this...", then drifted back off to sleep.

I closed my eyes and sleep soon engulfed me as well.


	21. Homecoming

We just woke up. I had been sleeping at the hospital every night, either in the bed with Jack or, when the hospital staff would make a fuss and tell me to get up before I ripped out an IV line, I would lie down on the fold out cot (I would always sneak back into Jack's bed when they left, though). It had been nine days since Jack woke up. Jack was sitting up, drinking the coffee that was on his breakfast tray, and I was sitting on the side of Jack's bed, rubbing my eyes, when Kara came in. She hadn't been in the room fifteen seconds and Jack had already made her blush five shades of pink.

"How's my favorite patient today?" Kara asked as she stepped into Jack's room.  
"Better than yesterday, probably worse than tomorrow," Jack said, looking up at her. "Well, don't you look stunning today! And how is the most beautiful nurse in the world this morning?" Jack asked, watching Kara blush. He did it on purpose, just to amuse himself because he knew he could get a reaction out of her. Kara giggled, looked at me, then cleared her throat and picked up Jack's chart. I couldn't help myself from chuckling and smacking Jack on his shoulder. "Stop being a dick!" I whispered. He winked at me and laughed under his breath.

His voice was back to normal for the most part, and he was moving around a bit and eating, pretty much being his adorable, bubbly self, only now he had two casts and a couple wicked wounds.

"I have something for you," Kara said, walking to Jack's bed, waving a packet of stapled papers. "What's that?" Jack asked, eying the papers. "Your discharge papers! You get to go home today!"

I heard Jack let out a relieved sigh. "Fucking thank god!" He turned and looked at me. "I am so ready to get out of here." He looked back at Kara and asked, "how long until we can go?"

"Well, your papers are all done. I just have to take out your IV. Oh, and I have to take your stitches out, but that won't take long," Kara said, already getting the supplies she needed out of her med cart.

I called Tom, then Mekiah and told them Jack was coming home today. The four of them agreed to meet us at my house. We weren't sure what was going to happen when we got home. We didn't know how difficult it would be for Jack, we didn't know if Dark would come back, we didn't know anything.

I sat back and watched as Kara took the IV needle out of Jack's hand, then watched as she snipped each stitch and pulled each one out. A few trails of blood dripped down Jack's face, which Kara wiped carefully. She was telling him how to take care of the wounds until they were fully healed. She applied a bandage over the wound as she talked, then started taking the stitches out of his abdomen. 'He is going to have a killer scar on his belly, too... That's fucking hot...' I thought to myself, staring at his exposed abdomen, thinking about his scars... then I snapped my thoughts back to what was going on when I heard Jack say "...at do you think, Mark?"

"Hmmm?" I looked up from his midsection and caught his eyes.  
"I asked what you think," he said.  
"About what?" I said, looking embarrassed.  
"Weren't you listening?"  
"Uhhh... I was kind of lost in thought," I confessed. "Wasn't listening."  
Jack's eyes crinkled at the edges the way they do when he smiles. "You were thinking about my scars, weren't you, ya freak?" he said, chuckling at me.

* * *

Everyone was at the house when we got home. I was glad to finally be out of that hospital, but not as glad as Jack. He was like a little kid, all smiles and hugs and laughter. He smiled through the pain, his happiness outweighing the lingering after effects of his fall.

Earlier in the week, Mekiah and Sarah took a ride back to their house and gathered some of the things they couldn't live without, packed it all up in the back of Mekiah's SUV, and got themselves settled into our other spare bedroom. I was happy to have them staying with us. It wasn't that I needed help with Jack, because he was healing much better than anyone expected and I could easily take care of him myself. I was happy to have them staying with us for different reasons. They were friends, and I trusted them. Right now, I needed some people I could trust.

Tom and Lyric stayed for a while, helping me get Jack settled in. He would need help getting up and down the stairs, and although I was capable of just carrying Jack's small frame, we all thought it would be best for him to spend his first few days downstairs where we could easily help him if he needed it. I could tell Jack was tired from the pain medication, so Tom and Lyric went home, and Mekiah and Sarah went to their room to unpack some more things and get settled in to their temporary home.

It had been a long week, but now I was alone with my love. Finally.

Jack laid his head back and closed his eyes. "I'm so tired, Mark," he said to me, "and everything fucking hurts."  
I moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around him. "I know, Baby. Can I do anything for you?"  
"Just... hold me. You make me feel better."

* * *

I held Jack, running my fingers through his hair. The house was quiet. Jack was breathing softly and evenly, his face peaceful. It had been a long day.

Jack napped for nearly an hour. I had been watching him sleep, just studying the curves and lines in his face, looking at the gash on his forehead, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and opened my music player. I scrolled through some songs, and settled on one. I pressed play, laid my head back, and closed my eyes. Soft music began to play, and it brought a smile to my lips. It was one of my favorites, and it fit our situation surprisingly well. I began singing softly...

 _Hello stranger, can you tell us where you've been?  
More importantly, how ever did you come to be here?  
Though a stranger, you can rest here for a while.  
But save your energy, your journey here is far from over.  
Come the sunrise, we'll descend through Judgement Valley  
And weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River._

 _No direction but to follow what you know,  
No direction but a faith in her decision,  
No direction but to never fight her flow,  
No direction but to trust the final destination.  
You're a stranger til she whispers you can stay.  
You're a stranger til she whispers that your journey's over..._

"Mark?"  
"I thought you were asleep," I brushed hair back from his eye.  
"I like when you sing."  
"Yeah?"  
"Mhmm." Jack sighed. "Do you think he will come back?" he asked me, opening his eyes now and looking at me with concern.  
"I dunno, Baby. Don't worry about it now. You just need to concentrate on getting better," I whisper to him. I leaned in close and softly brushed my lips against his. Jack leaned in, deepening the kiss. He slid his hand around my waist, and I could feel him pull me closer. It had been over a week since he touched me like that, since he kissed me like that, and god, did I miss it.

I broke our kiss, but only to re-position myself. I turned my body so I was facing him, using care to make sure I didn't hurt him in any way. I pressed my mouth against his, and his lips parted for me.

"I missed this... so much," I breathed into his neck. "I love you..."  
"I love you to, Mark," Jack whispered. He pulled back and sat up a bit, looking at me.  
"Do you think you could... carry me up the stairs?"

I stood up and scooped Jack's broken, beautiful body into my arms and carried him all the way to my bed... to _our_ bed. I gently laid him down and carefully tugged his T shirt over his head, repeating the process with my own T shirt. Jack laid back and I gently crawled into the huge bed, positioning myself next to him. He sucked in a pain-filled breath as he rolled onto his side to face me. He placed his hand on my neck and pulled me closer to him, smashing his mouth to mine.

I wanted so badly to ravage his body, but his injuries forced to be gentle. I placed my hand on his waist, trailing it around to his lower back. My hand traced the muscles in his back, my fingers softly caressing him. A soft moan escaped his throat, and I heard him whisper my name as his breathing quickened. I trailed tiny kisses down his neck and collar bone, wanting to taste every part of him. I missed the way his skin tasted, missed the way he sucked in his breath sharply when I hit the magic spot on his neck. Being intimate with him again was like heaven.

Jack's body reacted to the softness of my touch. The slow, sensual stroke of my hand and mouth seemed to soften his primal lust, and he let himself go, allowing himself to enjoy being worshiped. I felt him relax and melt into my caress.

I trailed kisses down his chest, being careful not to hurt him as I went lower. My hands teased his soft skin lightly as I gently explored my way downward. His breathing got faster. I heard "Mark..." and a tiny squeak escape his throat as I took him into my hand. I stroked him in a slow and deliberate manner, just like every other way I had touched him tonight. I moved back up to him, kissing him slowly and deeply without breaking the rhythm of my hand. Jack matched the sensual slowness of my kiss, then kissed me deeply as I felt his body tense, then his warm, wet release onto my hand.

I looked at him and smiled. "What about you?" he asked.  
"No worries, Babe. This was about you. You have been in so much pain, I wanted to bring you a little pleasure."


	22. Too Soon to Say Goodbye

I woke up to the sound of screaming. Crawling out of the depths of sleep to a blood curling shriek gave me an instant adrenaline rush, and I immediately jumped up. Jack heard the screaming as well, and he must have had the same adrenaline reaction as I had because he bolted straight up, then cried out in pain from the incision on his abdomen.

"What the FUCK?!" Jack yelled out, pressing his hand to his belly. "Aagghhh! Fuck!" He pulled his hand back and saw blood. He had torn the incision when he jumped up. "Mark?" I was already out of the bed, opening the door. The screams stopped.

"Stay here!" I told him, and he nodded, reaching for some gauze that I left on the bedside table when I cleaned his wounds before we slept. It was dark, but the moon was bright enough to cast light into our room, and I could see streaks of blood on his belly. I could tell Jack was on guard, but with his leg in a cast and the incision on his abdomen torn open, there wasn't much he could do.

I pounded on Mekiah and Sarah's door. "Mekiah? Sarah? You guys OK?" I could hear what sounded like heavy breathing on the other side of the door. I could hear some muffled sounds, movement, and what sounded like someone saying "no, no please..."

"Kia! Open the door!" I tried to open the door, but it was locked from the other side. I pounded on the door again, yelling for them to open the door. I heard whispering from the other side. I definitely recognized _that_ voice.

I backed away from the door and ran at it full force, slamming my shoulder into the door down low. I heard a crack and wood splintering, but the door didn't move. Pain exploded through my shoulder and down my back. I heard a small voice from behind the door cry out "Mark! Don't! Get Jack and get out of the house, NOW!" I backed up again and ran full force, plowing into the door. This time the wood around the door frame gave out and the door swung open and banged against the wall inside the room.

I immediately regretted my decision.

I didn't even have time to take a breath before Dark's fist plowed into my face and I saw an explosion of stars. I was knocked back and I stumbled around for a second before I could even take in what I was seeing. My immediate threat was Dark. I needed him to focus his attention on me so Mekiah and Sarah could get out of the room and get to Jack. He was in no way able to defend himself. "GO! NOW!" I yelled as I stepped in front of Dark. I saw a scurry of movement out of the corner of my eye before I felt Dark tackle me.

I jumped backwards into the tackle, causing momentum when we both landed on the ground, and that caught Dark off guard. I grabbed onto him, reached around his back and caught his right hand with my left. I rolled while clutching him, and there was enough force in my roll that made Dark end up underneath me. "ENOUGH!" I roared, looking Dark in the eye.

Somehow, Dark wasn't nearly as strong as he was during our first brawl. I felt him struggle underneath me, but I had his right hand behind his back, holding it underneath from around his side with my left, and I had his left arm under my right knee. The weight of his own body plus myself on top of him was crushing his arm, and I could see pain flash in his eyes.

Dark was still struggling, but his strength was fading. "Stop... strugg...ling..." I snapped through gritted teeth. "Goddammit, dude, just... FUCK...ING STOP!" I shouted, my face about three inches away from his.

"MARK! CATCH!" I heard Mekiah shout from the doorway, and I saw a black, rectangular object being tossed to me. "USE IT! NOW!" she yelled as I reached up with my right hand and snatched the object mid-flight. What the hell had she given me? What was I suppose to do with this? Is it some kind of exorcism tool? A tiny bible? Some supernatural talisman?

"PRESS IT INTO HIS SIDE AND PUSH THE FUCKING BUTTON!" Mekiah screamed. I did as she told me, not knowing what to expect.

I heard a loud, fast tick-click-tick-crack sound and saw a flash of blue light, then Dark was completely still.

I stood up and turned to the doorway. "A taser? You threw me a fucking TASER?" I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion. "How did you know it would work?" I asked.

"I didn't," Mekiah said, and shrugged.

* * *

"Are Jack and Sarah OK?" I asked her, looking around her room to find something to tie Dark up with.  
"I dunno. We ran out of the room, Sarah went to Jack and I ran downstairs to get the taser out of my backpack," she told me.

Worried now, I grabbed an ethernet cable I found lying by a wall and started to hog tied Dark. Mekiah pulled an HDMI cable out of the back of her TV and started wrapping it around the bed frame. Once Dark was tied securely, Mekiah wrapped the HDMI cable around the ethernet cable, making the restraints around Dark's hands and feet even tighter. Once we knew he was secure, we bolted down the hall and burst into my bedroom.

* * *

As soon as I stepped into my bedroom my heart shattered.

Jack was kneeling on the floor, his midsection and face smeared with blood. Tears were coursing down his face, making clean streaks through the mess of red smears and drops on his cheeks. He was cradling Sarah with his broken left arm, and furiously pressing one of my T shirts into her side with his right hand. The T shirt was already soaked through with blood, Jack's hand was covered in her blood, and I could see more pooling on the floor underneath her.

Mekiah dropped to her knees and clutched onto her lover, tears spilling out of her eyes. I dropped to my own knees between Mekiah and Jack. I heard Mekiah whispering "no... no... no..." as her head drifted back and forth in denial. Sarah opened her eyes, looked at Mekiah, then smiled. Sarah lifted a weak hand to Mekiah's face and stroked her cheek.

"Kia... You have been my center for so long... I never told you this... but... all the time you thought I was saving you," Sarah blinked slowly, "you were the one... saving me." Sarah blinked and swallowed. "I love you, Mekiah, and I will see you again..." She closed her eyes.

"Sarah? Sarah! Open your eyes, sweetie!" Mekiah cried out to her. "Please!"

Sarah opened her eyes, struggling to focus on Mekiah, then she looked at me. "Mark... This... is bigger than you could... ever imagine. But you are the... key to stopping it," she swallowed again and took a shallow breath, her eyes rolling a bit, just for a second and her face softened.

She looked up at Jack. "Jack... honey... you have done so well... Mark can't beat this without you... He needs you and loves you... more than you will ever know... You two are amazing people but... together... as a team you can do anything... You can beat him..."

She looked at me. "Don't grieve for me, Mark," she said when she saw the tears start to fall from my eyes. "Death is a part of life. I am proud to... have helped protect you and Jack... And I am honored... to call you two... my friends. I love you both..."

Mekiah wrapped her arms around Sarah, sobbing into her long, shining hair. "This is not the end for us, my love..." Sarah whispered to Mekiah before her breath stopped and the light faded from her eyes.


	23. Walking Into the Dark

We all just sat there, silent. Sarah was gone. We could do nothing to save her, but we damn well could avenge her. The... thing that killed her was here, in the next room. We had to deal with him before we could do anything about Sarah's corpse. My mind and body was flooded with a sudden rage, and I let out a deafening roar that made Jack and Mekiah jump. I stood up, walked to my dresser and pulled out a combat knife I bought after the car accident. It was a big knife with a serrated edge on the top and a guthook.

I was shaking, and everything felt surreal. It was probably the mix of shock, anger and adrenaline that fueled my movement, and I didn't even realize I was running until I was outside Mekiah and Sarah's door, the knife clutched tightly in my right hand.

I took a breath and placed my hand on the doorknob, then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Mekiah's small frame standing behind me. She was holding some kind of fist weapon; it wrapped around her knuckles and had three small, razor sharp hooks that curved down. I could see an engraving on it, symbols of some kind.

I looked at her and she smiled warmly, wiping tears off of her face. "Walking with a friend into the Dark is better than walking alone in the light," she said to me. "Now, LET'S KILL THIS SONOFABITCH!" she said through gritted teeth.

Jack hobbled out of our bedroom, presumably because he didn't want to be in the room with Sarah's bloody corpse. He, too, had a weapon: Mekiah's taser. I opened my mouth to tell him to stay back, but he raised a hand in protest.

"I have been fucking helpless this whole time. Sarah is fucking dead, Mark! I don't care if it hurts or if I get fucked up more than I already am, I am not going to sit there waiting for you two to die!" he spat.  
"Fair enough," I said, walking to him. "But if you die," I said, pointing my knife at him, "I will fucking kill you..." I smiled, and Jack chuckled. "I love you, Jack."  
"Love you... for always," Jack said to me, then he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me like it may be our last. "Be careful."  
"You, too."

I took a deep breath, then opened the door and stepped into the room. I didn't have a chance to look around the last time I was in there because I was immediately attacked, but I had my chance now. My eyes immediately found Dark, still tied to the bed frame, still unconscious. I scanned the room, and it looked like a madman tore through it. I looked at Mekiah.

"He was really weak this time," I said to her. "Not like before. Before he shoved me completely across the room with a flick of his wrist, and lifted Jack by the throat and tossed him out a window with one hand. This time I was able to overpower him. Any ideas why?"

"Could be anything." she said, looking to be deep in thought. "Where is the book?" she asked.  
"Still in the trunk of Mark's car, in the lock box," Jack said. I nodded.  
"Could be that. He may draw power from the book, and the fact that the book is locked in a box that is locked in a box may be draining him, or at least not allowing him to get stronger." She raised her eyes to mine.

"Can he be killed?" I asked her.  
"One way to find out," she said, a menacing smile spreading across her face.

* * *

We approached Dark slowly and cautiously, unsure of what he was capable of. I lightly kicked him in the ass. No response. Mekiah grabbed him by the hair, pulled his head up, and cracked him across the face with an open hand as hard as she could. The sound of it made me flinch. That worked.

Dark opened his eyes and looked up at the three of us. We must have been a spectacular spectacle. All three of us were covered in blood, most of it Sarah's but some of it our own. Jack's green hair was a mess, sticking up at odd angles and some places were stiff with dried blood. He still had smears and drops of blood on his face.

"You are outnumbered, weak and restrained, and we are armed" I said to him. "Don't bother trying to fight. But before we kill you, we need some answers."  
"Fuck you, Mark!" Dark growled at me. I kicked him in the face. Hard.  
Dark spat blood on the carpet, then looked up at me. "Why do you want me gone, Mark? You were the one that brought me here, remember?" he said in a condescending voice.

"What are you?" Mekiah asked. Dark glared up at her. "As if you didn't know, _Oracle_..." Dark answered sharply, his face filled with disgust. " _You_ are the abomination, not me," he growled.  
We stood silently, looking down at him. Dark inhaled a heavy breath, then laughed. "You really have no idea? Oh, my dear friends, I am an Angel of the Lord!" he exclaimed loudly, looking upwards, as if trying to seek God. "Well, I was, until I was cast out. Betrayed." He gaze fell to the ground. " _Fallen_ , they call us. Isn't that clever?" Dark looked at me and laughed menacingly.

"An angel? But...?" I looked at Mekiah and mouthed the word 'HOW?' silently.

Dark tilted his head to one side and looked at me. "You had no idea what you were doing when you brought me here, did you?" he smiled, showing his sharp canine teeth.

"So, you dragged me here, against my will, and now you wish to kill me, is that right?" Dark asked, almost amused. "Dare I ask what I have done to warrant such a harsh punishment? I _was_ invited, after all..."

"Don't play innocent," I snapped. "You weren't here two minutes before you killed that girl by the river! That alone is enough to warrant your death, you supernatural piece of shit!" I shouted. "You tried to kill Jack! You killed Sarah! You tried to run us off the road!" I said sharply.

I crouched down next to his head and whispered "give me one fucking reason I shouldn't drive this blade into your goddamn throat right now, you fuck..."

"Because it wouldn't kill me," Dark said, his red eyes emitted a soft glow and a smile spread across his face.


	24. Voice like a Demon, Heart like an Angel

I looked at Mekiah, then at Jack. "What the fuck are we suppose to do now?" I asked.  
"We don't know if he is telling the truth," Mekiah hissed. "Demons lie."  
"But is he a demon? Is he an angel? Something else? How do we know? What the fuck do we do?" I asked, feeling edgy and anxious.  
Jack spoke up. "Maybe Tom would know something. He does have a ton of occult knowledge. We should ask him."  
"Yep," I said, pulling out my phone. I called my brother and told him everything. He told me he had a good collection of books on demonology and angels stashed away in the basement of the store.

"OK, here's the plan," I said to Jack and Mekiah. "We are going to take this asshole into the basement, leave him hogtied down there and lock him in, then we are going to the store to try to get some answers. We stay together."

"What about Sarah?" Mekiah whispered. "We can't just leave her here..."  
"Should we call the cops?" I ask, hoping no one would say yes.  
"What would we even begin to tell the police?" Jack said quickly, then with a sarcastic tone said "Oh, this _fallen angel_ or _whateverthefuck_ killed her. They would take us all in!" Jack looked around the room. "We would be in prison or an asylum. I say no cops."

"I agree. No cops. We can figure something out," I said, nodding at Jack.  
"But... Sarah deserves a proper burial!" Mekiah cried. "She has family! They deserve to know!"  
"Yes, they do, but we have a more pressing matter right now," I said calmly, shooting a glance at Dark who was watching us intently.

* * *

Mekiah and I laid a blanket over Sara's body. I could hear soft weeping from both Mekiah and Jack, but I didn't look at them, mostly because I was fighting my own tears from spilling. "Rest in peace, sweet Sarah..." Jack whispered. He kissed his fingertips, bent down and placed his fingers on her covered head. "We will be back for you."

We didn't untie Dark, we only untied the cord that secured him to the bed frame. All three of us dragged him to the basement, our faces stone. Dark didn't struggle, but he was desperately trying to get into our heads. We had to do everything in out power to not listen to him because if we did, one of us would have snapped. He was laughing like a madman, whispering to us, seeming to know everything we fear.

We weren't careful getting him to the basement. He may or may not have taken a nasty spill down a couple flights of stairs.

Once we got him down in the basement, I got a length of chain from the garage and a padlock, and I chained him to a metal support beam. Once I was sure he wasn't going anywhere, we went back upstairs and I locked the basement door.

Each of us took a shower. I had to help Jack because of his casts and wounds. It was a tedious task, but we managed to get the blood out of his hair without destroying his casts.

Every once in a while we would hear a laugh or some semblance of words coming up through the vents, but they were muffled and distant. Dark was either still trying to get into our heads or he was going mad.

Once we were showered and in clean clothes, we got in my car and drove to Morpheus' Dream. Tom was waiting for us, stacks of books and a few scrolls sitting at the work stations. Jack immediately started skimming through books, and for the first time since he woke from his coma, he seemed genuinely at ease, surrounded by the things he loved most. Old books.

I watched him in his natural environment, engrossed in ancient tomes, eyes darting over pages, taking notes in his little notebook. I doubt he was aware I was watching him, or that I noticed how his fingers ran up the edges at the corners of the pages of every book he read. He looked so gorgeous while concentrating on the one thing he has loved since he was old enough to read.

I grabbed a book and started scanning for anything that stood out to me. I had a really uneasy feeling, and I just wanted to hurry up and find whatever we were looking for. Tom and Mekiah were pouring over books also.

"I found something," Jack said, his sapphire eyes sparkling with relief and joy. He smiled, his eyes crinkling around the edges.

I walked over and started reading what he found. I looked at Mekiah and she held up a hand and said, "well, what does it say?"

"While on Earth in mortal form, an angel, whether pure or fallen, can be killed by one thing and one thing only. The substance is called Qeres, a perfume used by the Egyptians during the mummification process. Qeres was said to provide the 'first sweet breath' in the afterlife," Jack read, then looked up.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. Where have I heard that word before? I was reaching into the recesses of my memory trying desperately to remember who told me about Qeres, why they told me about Qeres. It was so close...

"There's more," Jack said, then continued reading. "Qeres is extremely rare substance. Its recipe has been lost, but small amounts still exist." He looked at me. "This book is nearly seven hundred years old, and it was rare then..." Jack made a weird face, showing his disappointment, then he continued reading.

"This perfume is a lethal poison to an angel, fallen or otherwise, and if poured over the blade of a knife, could in fact terminate an angel. While non-lethal to humans, it can burn or poison anyone who carries the Nephilitic gene."

"Huh..." Mekiah muttered. " Nephilim are real? I thought that was a thing made up by Blizzard for the Diablo games."

Jack chuckled. "Oh yeah, Nephilim are indeed real. The Nephilim have been documented in a variety of Jewish and Christian texts. They are the offspring of an angel and a human, from back when angels still lived among man. And, as such, it suggests that Qeres is not only poisonous to angels, but also to Nephilim, and to human descendants of that age old blood-line, who potentially still carry the nephilitic gene." Jack explained, looking proud of himself.

I inhaled sharply as I suddenly remembered. "Tom, do you remember that story Dad use to tell us about that amphora found in an Egyptian tomb?" I asked my brother.

"Yeah. I don't remember the exact story but I do remember him talking about it when we were younger. He would talk to you about it more because I thought it was bullshit, but you believed it," Tom laughed. "You guys would sit and pour over scrolls and books for hours, having your silly little secret meetings and telling stories," he joked.

He won't joke when he hears what our 'silly little secret meetings' really were.

Jack looked intrigued. "Well, spill it! What was the story?" he said to me, smiling in anticipation.

"Dad would say that an amphora was once found in a pharaohs tomb, and when it was opened a perfume was released after thousands of years. The perfume had such subtle beauty, and yet such power, that for one single moment every person on earth believed that they were in paradise. Twelve essences could be identified, but the thirteenth, the vital one, could never be determined. The thirteenth was Qeres." I explained to Jack, then I looked at Tom. He was nodding his head in realization.

"And Dad knew it," Tom said, smiling. "Son of a bitch, Dad knew it."  
"Yep. And he knew how to get it." I said, clapping Tom on the back.

"But... why? Why would he need to get an ancient, ultra rare substance used for killing angels, and tell you about it?" Mekiah asked me, completely puzzled.

Tom looked at me. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. I could see him remembering, I could see him realizing that those stories were much more than stories. I smiled, nodding my head at him.

Dad was training me the in art of Deicide.


	25. Secrets Revealed

So many memories came flooding back to me... the hours Dad and I spent discussing angels and demons, the books and scrolls he explained to me, the look of pride in his eyes when I was able to answer questions correctly. How had I forgotten? It was very long ago, well over ten years since our last discussion.

My lessons got cut short when Dad got sick. Much of my life during that time is a blur in my memory, as if my brain made a frantic attempt to delete the memory banks so I didn't go insane with grief. I miss my dad greatly. We were very close, obviously. He was extremely knowledgeable in many areas of the supernatural and occult lore, some of it pure fiction, some of it documented fact, all of it very secret and taboo.

"Tom, did Dad have any papers or a safe anywhere that you know of? Maybe he has some more detailed information." I asked my brother.  
"Nothing that I know of, but maybe Mom knows something," Tom said.

I stepped outside the store and called my mom. When I hung up the phone, my hands were trembling and my heart was pounding. I hurried inside.

"Looks like you get to meet my mom," I said to Jack, digging in my pockets for my car keys. He could see the look of crazed excitement in my eyes, and looked at my hands as they trembled when I pulled my keys out of my pocket.  
"Mark," Jack asked, a look of concern and amusement on his face, "what did she say?"  
"She told me my dad left a box for me, but she wasn't suppose to give it to me unless I started asking about angels or demons."

* * *

The drive to my mom's house took us almost an hour. When we got there, she had food waiting for us. Introductions were made, and my mom welcomed Jack and Mekiah into her home as if the were her own children.

"Well, aren't you the most adorable little biscuit," she said to Jack, making him blush. "I hope Mark is taking good care of you. You look like you had quite a nasty accident."  
"He is, yes," Jack told her, glancing at me. "And yes, I did have quite the tumble. Put me in a coma for a tick."

Hearing this made my mother gush over him even more. She got him a blanket, wrapped it around his shoulders, then pushed more food at him and smiled. I looked at Jack and silently mouthed the words 'I'm so sorry', and he chuckled. Mekiah was sitting quietly, smiling as she shoveled food in her face, obviously amused. And famished.

My mom took a breath, but I cut her off before she could make any more of a fuss over Jack. "Mom, you said Dad left a box for me. Where is it?" I asked. She held up her index finger, gesturing for me to 'hold on'.

She went down the hall, then turned into the room that was once my father's study, work room and lab. She came out with a small, ornate wooden box. It was a little bigger than a shoe box. The wood was stained a deep, golden honey color, and it had ornate carvings on the lid. I could see some gemstones set into the top of the box in places. There were two tiny golden hinges and a small golden latch, with an ornamental padlock through the latch.

My mother placed the box in front of me, then took a step back, knowing how deeply this would affect me. "Do you know what's in here, Mom?" I asked her.

"Yes, I do, Mark. I know of the things your father was teaching you, and I know of the items he left in this box for you. He made this box himself, you know," she said, trailing a finger over the engravings on the top of the box. "He knew you would need this. He prepared everything very meticulously."

She placed a tiny, golden key on the table, between me and the box. I picked up the key and slid it into the lock. I heard a _snick_ as I turned the key. I removed the lock and set it to the side, then I took a deep breath. I prepared myself as much as I could for the unknown. Would the contents be purely informational? Would it be personal? Would I get a flood of wonderful memories and lose my shit in front of my love, my friend and my mom?

I lifted the latch and placed my hand on the top of the box, but before I lifted the lid, my mom placed her hand on top of mine. "He left a letter for you, Mark. That is the only thing that he kept private from me. He said it was for your eyes alone, and any sharing of its contents will be done by you, if you so choose."

I nodded as she took her hand from mine. I lifted the lid. As I opened it, a pleasing and familiar scent escaped the box. It smelled of roses and incense. The inside of the box was lined with a rich, red velvet. I could see some papers rolled up and some lying flat. I could see a small pouch made from the same red velvet. It had a drawstring, and the drawstring was wound tightly around the top of the pouch, hiding something inside. There were two small leather bound books, a silver dagger with gemstones set into the hilt, and an envelope with my name neatly written on the front.

I picked up the letter. I didn't want to rip the envelope, and as if she read my mind, my mother held out a letter opener. I slid the letter opener into the small opening in the envelope, carefully making a neat slit along the top. I pulled out the letter and read my father's words slowly and carefully.

I could feel everyone studying my face as I read. My father's words revealed detailed information that would help us with Dark as well as explaining some things to me that made everything make sense.

I read the letter twice, not caring that my eyes were swimming in tears that eventually spilled down my cheeks. When I was done, I neatly folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope. I blew out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. I set the letter aside and took out the small pouch. I looked up, and everyone was focused intently on me.

"So, we have some answers. Not all of them, but some. There was a lot of information for me to take in. I will tell you everything, but I need to collect myself," I told Jack and Mekiah. They both nodded silently. I took a deep breath, exhaled, then ran a hand through my messy red hair.

"This," I said as I held up the velvet pouch, "Is Qeres." Jack and Mekiah both went completely wide-eyed, and both of them opened their mouths in shock.

I chuckled. "Don't look so shocked. That is probably the _least_ surprising thing to come out of this box," I said. I looked at my mom. "Why didn't you tell me?" I pleaded with her.

As if Mekiah's psychic senses kicked on instantly, her eyes lit up and she spoke. "The same reason I didn't tell you that Jack was going to get hurt. If she told you, the events would have been changed. Destiny would have been changed. And it would have disrupted the balance, making everything much worse. Jack would have died if I warned you about the window, just as you would have died if your mother warned you about reading from the book."

Jack looked completely lost and out of the loop. "What the hell are you all on about?" He all but shouted.

Mekiah looked at Jack. "Mark's mom is clairvoyant, just like me," she told him. "And she knew he was going to read from that book and bring Dark here."  
"And you never knew?" Jack asked me.  
"Nope. But that is just one of the secrets, isn't it, mom?" I said, a hint of anger in my voice.

I shook my head a little. I needed to focus on the rest of the items in the box. I set the pouch to the side and pulled out the two books. I handed them to Jack, and his face lit up. Both books looked identical, except for the embossed lettering on the covers. The books were written in Latin. One cover said "Book of Angels" and the other said "Book of Demons".

I removed the dagger and examined it. It was beautifully made, and very old. It was in pristine condition. The blade was very sharp and very straight. The gems sparkled and gleamed in the light as I rotated the dagger. I set it aside.

I left the other papers in the box and started packing the books back into it. "We can look over the papers and books later, Babe," I said to Jack. He nodded. I carefully placed the letter into the box. The red velvet pouch and the dagger were sitting in front of the box.

"So, the plan is for one of you to dip the tip of this dagger into the Qeres and drive the dagger into that fucker's heart," I told them both. "I can't do it."

Jack scrunched his eyebrows together, looking confused. "Why not?" He asked.

"Because the Qeres could kill me."


	26. Soulmates

"WHAT? Mark, Baby, what do you mean?!" Jack jumped up and hopped over to me on one leg. He knelt the best he could and took my hands into his.

I sighed, then looked at my mom. She closed her eyes and gave me a long, slow nod, as if saying 'yes, son, this is truth. Tell him. He must know'.

"According to my father, I have the nephilitic gene. _I am the descendant of an angel and a human_ ," I told him, looking straight into his huge, gorgeous blue eyes, which were steadily growing wider.

"Tom has the gene as well. It was passed through my father, who was also the descendant of a nephilim," I explained. I gestured to my mother. "My mom knew before we were born that if she ever had children with my father that they, too, would carry the gene. It is pretty much dormant and irrelevant, unless you are trying to kill an angel with a substance that is poison to angels as well as nephilim. Then it becomes sort of a problem," I joked, winking at Jack and smiling.

I sat back and ran my fingers through my hair, then rubbed my eyes. "There is more. Mom knew of my fate, yet she had to sit idle, unable to tell me, unable to protect me. She was able to confide in my dad, and he was able to provide her some comfort," I looked at my mom. "That's what he said in the letter, anyway." Mom nodded, wiping away a fallen tear.

"She knew Dark would come, and she knew I would meet you. Dad even mentioned you in the letter, so get rid of any doubt you may have had about getting into this clusterfuck of a mess with me," I told him, his eyes wide with surprise and sparkling with the wetness of tears.

I opened the box and pulled the letter out of the envelope, showing him the words my father had left for me from beyond the grave.

"Right here Dad says: _'... This will be a tedious task, my son, but have no fear. As you read this, you will be seated next to the man that shares your heart and your soul. He will walk with you into the Dark, he will stand with you and by you, not because he has to, but because he wants to. He will endure pain that no man should ever have to face, but he does it for you, Mark. Your mother makes no sense sometimes, but she says to write 'his eyes are like the heavens and his hair is like the fields'. I hope once you read this those words make some sense...'"_

Tears had spilled down Jack's cheeks now, and I wiped them away. If there was any indication that Jack and I are truly soulmates, this was it.

* * *

"Mark, there is something else you should know," my mom said quietly. Jack and I both looked up at her, and Mekiah was just drinking everything in from the other side of the room.

"This... Dark, as you call him, he is indeed an angel, a fallen angel, out for blood and destruction. But..." she trailed off, looking down.  
"Mom? What is it?" I asked, becoming concerned.  
"Haven't you wondered why you look alike?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed. I tilted my head and scrunched my own eyebrows, then she told me.

"You are his blood descendant."

* * *

"I'm not sure how much more shit I can handle," I said to Jack as we were driving back home. "I mean, come on! This is enough to make someone insane! None of this shit makes any sense!"

Jack put his hand on my knee, and i instantly felt better.

"Just remember, we are here. We are fighting this fight with you, and it will be over soon," Mekiah said, and Jack nodded his head in agreement.

We pulled into the driveway and took the box into the house. I opened the box, took out the dagger and the pouch with the Qeres, and set them on the table. Mekiah opened the pouch, and pulled the top of the small vial. She made a motion to dip the tip of the dagger into it, then stopped. She tilted her head as if listening to something, then bolted toward the stairs.

She ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I followed her, and Jack was yelling about how he can't get up the stairs. I got upstairs just in time to hear Mekiah open my bedroom door with such force that it swung all the way open and crashed into the wall behind it.

"SONOFABITCH! I KNEW IT! MOTHERFUCKER!" she screamed, scaring the shit out of me. I looked in the bedroom. Sarah's body was gone, and the ethernet cable that Dark was tied up with was laying on top of the bloodstained carpet where Sarah's corpse once was.


	27. Time Heals All Wounds

It had been seven weeks since Dark vanished from my basement. Seven long weeks since Sarah lost her life, and we lost her body. Seven grueling weeks of worry and waiting. Seven painful weeks of healing bones and healing wounds. Seven strenuous weeks of trying to come to terms with learning of my nephilitic bloodline. But here we are.

* * *

Jack was sitting in the living room, watching Mekiah play Bloodborne. I heard him mumble something about how badly he wanted to get his cast off so he could play. He was shoving cookies in his face.

"C'mon, Jack! We are going to be late!" I said sharply. "I have been waiting for you for twenty minutes!"  
"I KNOW, Mark! I KNOW! FUCK!" he yelled back to me.  
"I thought you wanted your casts off?" I snapped. "We'll have to reschedule if we're late! Let's fucking GO, Jack!"  
Jack made huge puppy dog eyes at me and pouted his lips. "I'm sorry, Angel... I just wanted to finish my cookies," Jack said sweetly.  
"Stop fucking calling me that!" I growled. I was getting pissed, and he knew it.

Ever since we found out about my nephilim linage, Jack insisted on calling me Angel. He thought it was adorable. I tolerated it because he loved it, and I'm not gonna lie, it started to grow on me and my heart would melt a little every time he said it. But right now I was aggravated, and I snapped at him when he called me Angel.

I lowered my eyes. I felt bad for getting pissed at him. He has endured so much suffering for and because of me. He didn't deserve to get yelled at, especially not by me.

Jack stood up and hopped over to me, wrapping his hand around my neck. He moved his hand to my cheek and said, "Mark, I'm sorry..." He showered my face with tiny kisses. I pushed him back a little, trying to hold back my smile and stand my ground. I couldn't show him that he was making my heart melt.

But, dammit, he is so adorable... and I can't resist him when he touches me.

He pressed his lips to my neck, and I felt myself sink into him. My eyes closed, my fingers entwined themselves in his soft hair... then I snapped myself out of it. "UGGGHHH! JACK! C'mon, man..." I moaned, backing up from him. I heard Mekiah giggling at us. Jack was laughing now, too, and I couldn't hold back. I started cracking up. I could never stay mad at him for more than a few minutes.

We got in my car and I had to haul ass to make it to Jack's appointment on time. We just barely made it.

A nurse came out and called Jack back before we even sat down in the waiting room. We got into the exam room, and the nurse took Jack's weight, blood pressure, temperature, and asked him some questions about his medical history and medications. Once she was done, she told us the doctor would be in shortly, then left the room and closed the door behind her.

"I can't wait until those fucking casts come off," I told him. "I am so tired of snuggling with you and getting cracked in the head. I mean, I love the fuck outta you, Jackaboy, but it will be nice to not have to help you take a goddamn shower."

Jack almost looked hurt. "I thought you loved shower time!" he whined loudly and made pouty lips. I chuckled.

"I do when I get to shower _with_ you, not when I have to wrap your casts in plastic and wash that damn Irish clover-patch growing on your melon!" I laughed and ran my fingers through his green locks, brushing some out of his eye, my thumb trailing down the large scar on his forehead.

Someone dramatically cleared their throat. Jack and I both swung our heads around in unison, seeing a tall, younger man in a white lab coat leaning against the wall just inside the door. His arms were folded across his chest, Jack's medical file clutched in his right hand. His right foot was crossed over his left, making him look like he had been standing there for a while. He had an amused look on his face.

"You done?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he smiled.

He walked farther into the room, holding a hand out to each of us. He introduced himself as Dr. Cameron. He looked over Jack's chart.

"So, you're ready to get out of these casts, are ya?" he asked, looking at Jack.  
"You have no idea!" Jack said loudly, smiling huge.

* * *

Once Jack's arm and leg were free, he was like a completely new person. The doctor told him to take it easy until the muscles build back up, but as soon as we walked out of the doctor's office, Jack ran into the parking lot, yelling and screaming obscenities as he jumped onto the bumper of my car.

His energy made me smile, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. He made me smile. He was my entire world.

Ever since Dark tossed Jack out of the bedroom window, through all the blood, the coma, the broken bones and stitches, I carried the weight of guilt. Jack had suffered a nearly intolerable amount of pain, and he did it because of me. He says he did it for me, not because of me, but my conscience said otherwise.

Now that Jack was able to walk on his own, he was eager to go do something. "Can we go to the skate park?" he asked. "We can stop at home so I can get my skateboard," he said excitedly. I felt like the bad guy once again when I reminded him that just because his casts were off, his bones weren't out of the woods just yet.

He was standing on the back bumper of my car, bouncing up and down, happy to have use of both legs and both arms.

"Why don't we just go home and do something... not so risky," I said. "We could play video games or... something..."

Jack stopped bouncing on the bumper. He sat down on the trunk and said, "what does the 'or something' option include?" he asked, grabbing me by my T shirt and pulling me close to him. My face was about 2 inches from his. He held my gaze there for just a brief moment before he pulled me all the way in and pressed his parted lips to mine.

Instinct and familiarity instantly took over me, and I melted into his kiss. My lips parted for him and for that brief moment the entire world drifted away. We stayed like that for a while, Jack sitting on the trunk of my car, his arms around my waist, my body positioned between his legs. My arms were wrapped around his neck, my fingers buried in his hair. Jack kissed me with the same tenderness and intensity that he always does, yet it always feels perfect and band new.

I broke our kiss and looked him in the eyes.

"Jack?"  
"Mark?"  
"I love you. Forever," I whispered as my lips gently brushed against his.  
"I love you. For always," he told me, then pressed his parted lips to mine, pulling me into his entire world once again.


	28. Kisses and Bloodlines

Jack and I got home, expecting to see Mekiah still playing Bloodborne, but she wasn't. We were immediately on guard when we walked in and saw the TV frozen on the game menu and a shattered controller on the floor, pieces scattered everywhere. I looked at Jack, and he placed a finger on his lips, making a 'shhh' gesture.

I watched Jack tilt his head trying to listen for any sounds. I listened as well, but I didn't hear anything. Jack pointed his index finger up, and whispered, almost silently, 'Mekiah is upstairs'.

We both approached the stairs and we both tiptoed up. I now heard what Jack heard. Crying. But it wasn't normal crying. We could hear Mekiah speaking as well, mostly in whispers. When we reached the top of the stairs, Jack quietly focused his attention to a corner in the hallway and approached.

I stood back, unsure of what was happening. Jack didn't seem alarmed, so I wasn't as on guard as I was when we came in. I watched him kneel down in the corner, and I listen to him as he spoke.

"Kia? Honey, what's wrong?" Jack asked softly, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair. Mekiah said nothing, just continued to weep and whisper, words that sounded like nonsense to me, probably because of the distance between us.

I stepped closer, kneeling next to Jack once I approached. I could see and hear clearly now, and I immediately thought 'this is NOT good'.

Mekiah was sitting in the corner, rocking, her knees pressed to her chest, and her hands pressed tightly to the sides of her head. There were tears shining in her eyes and they left sparkling trails down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and glazed over, and she seemed to be focused on some object unseen by myself and Jack. She didn't blink.

I listened closely to the words her lips were forming, trying to make some sense out of what was happening. "... Took her... you all took her. SHUT UP! No, see, I can't help you. Just leave me alone... some went, some came... taking everything... but the blood stays... no! Shhhh... you will wake her up. Ha! Hahaha! No one needs to see the sounds... not yet... so just call! Call the King of the Squirrels! I will let you be the one to explain it all to him... Can he find her? Can he find me? No! How could you even think that! Can I find me? I'm upside down in the universe... hanging by a thread! You will never find me! I can hear you thinking... Hahaha... You all think too loud... SHUT UP! Get out of my head! Just go to sleep..."

I looked at Jack. He stood up and I followed suit. We walked into our bedroom, and I quietly shut the door.

I screamed in a whisper, using a lot of hand gestures for emphasis, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"  
Jack pursed his lips, his eyebrows scrunching up the way they do when he is confused or thinking hard. "I think it is a mix of Sarah's death and her own abilities finally hitting her. Remember when we met them? She told us that Sarah was the only person that could help her stay sane and grounded. She is able to listen to thoughts, I think, and she hears people all the time. _All the time_ , Mark! Could you imagine what that must be like? The only person that could keep her out of her own head is gone. And the mix of the two is driving her insane."

"So what do we do?" I asked, glancing over at her.  
"I think we need to have another visit with your mom," Jack said to me.

* * *

I went downstairs and called my mom. I was scared for Mekiah. I told my mother what was happening, and asked her if we could bring Mekiah to her house. Mom was hesitant, then she told me no. She told me that I could help without even leaving the house. Then she told me how.

While I was on the phone, Jack managed to carry Mekiah downstairs and sat her on the sofa. She stopped mumbling like a raving lunatic, but she was still staring as if she were watching something with glazed over eyes. Her lips were dry and moving slightly, and every so often her right eye would twitch.

I caught Jack's attention and gestured for him to come with me into the kitchen. He looked at me hopefully. "Well, are we taking her over there?"  
"No."  
"... Uhh, we can't just let her sit there and drive herself insane, Babe. What are we suppose to do?" he asked, wringing his hands together.  
"Well," I said, walking to the window and opening a small box I kept in the windowsill, "my mom filled me in on some very useful information. I can help her. I am going to gather some things, and I need you to do the same."

"What are you gonna do?" Jack asked me.  
"I... really don't know. Mom told me what I needed, and she said I would know what I had to do when I started."

"Okay, Angel. I'll get whatever you need. Just tell me what I have to do," he said, walking to me and wrapping his arms around me from behind. I felt my body instinctively soften under his touch, and I let out a small sigh and my eyes fluttered closed when I felt his soft lips brush the back of my neck then his head rest on the back of my shoulder. I could sense that his affection was purely for comfort, and it worked. I relaxed. I felt calm.

Jack was trying desperately to be quiet, and I could tell it was because he didn't want to upset or disturb Mekiah. Usually it was very hard for him to stay quiet, sometimes almost looking painful for him. He is a loud guy. He can't help it, his energy just overflows. It is one of the things I love the most about him.

I broke our backwards hug and turned to face him. "I have some candles stashed in here in case of power failure. I am going to gather those up and a few other things. I need you to go upstairs, get the box my dad gave me and get the Book of Angels out of it," I said, handing him the tiny golden key I just took out of the small box.

I brushed a lock of hair out of his eye, and traced my thumb over the scar on his forehead, and he reacted by closing his eyes. I kissed his scar, then I kissed his lips. He kissed me back, resting his hand on my neck. I don't know if it was because we had been in danger since the day we met or if we just loved each other that fucking much, but it seemed that when we kissed, whether it was filled with passion during ridiculous intense sex or just a goodbye kiss while one of us runs out for milk, every time we kissed, we kissed each other like it would be our last. Not one time has he pressed his lips to mine in a way that was done out of habit or routine. Not one time has he kissed me without me feeling like the world could end and I wouldn't care.

He grinned at me as he backed up, then turned around and did a little dance, then spun around on his now healed leg. He whipped his head around and looked at me dramatically, his mouth open in a wide smile, and started laughing. His eyes lit up and glittered, and he said, "Damn, it FEELS SO GOOD to be able to walk on me own two feet... LIKE A BOSS!" He crinkled up his face when he said it, and I couldn't stop the roar of laughter that came... the same laugh Jack teases me about. I shook my head, still laughing, and turned back to gather what I needed. I heard him sprint off, mumbling something about running, and I heard him getting louder... I caught 'hell yeah!', 'that's a bouncy Jackaboy!', 'BOOPER DOOPER!' and laughter as he ran up the stairs.

Even with all of the tragic, scary, painful and insane things that have happened to us, we can still manage to laugh and have fun. I think we both subconsciously decided months ago that death could come at any time, so we may as well try to enjoy every moment with each other and love each other with ferocity.

If we didn't, we both would surely be dead or insane by now. 

* * *

Jack and I got back to Mekiah at the same time. She looked exactly the same, and had not moved. I placed the white candles around us in no particular order, and asked Jack to light them as I handed him a lighter.

I opened the Book of Angels, and skimmed through it. Just as my mom said, I could sense what I had to read. It was an odd feeling, much like the 'brain magnet' that led me to Mekiah. My mom explained to me that my angelic bloodline would allow me to see farther into the Book of Angels than a human that wasn't nephilitic. I would be able to read things that Jack couldn't see.

Mom told me that Dad would read to her from the book, and she would focus on words and phrases, writing down things that 'called out to her'. Over the years, she and my father studied the book, specifically for me and the events that are happening in the here and now, because she knew the day would come when I called and asked her for help with my psychic and possibly insane friend.

When I found out I had the nephilitic gene, I initially thought it would be dormant and unimportant, much like someone discussing ethnicity, something along the lines of 'yeah, I am part Korean, part German and part Nephilim'. As I watched new words and symbols form right before my eyes, I discovered how wrong I was.

I found what I needed, and once Jack had all the candles lit, I began to read to Mekiah. My voice changed a little, becoming deeper (if that is possible) and more soothing. I read slowly, in a language I didn't know, but was able to read without a problem. I could feel Jack watching me intensely. As soon as I started reading I could sense something change in Mekiah.

After about ten minutes I finished reading the section. I was focused on the book, on the words, on watching the phrases and symbols unfold before my eyes, so I wasn't able to see Mekiah's reaction. Once the last word escaped my lips, I closed the book and looked up at her. Tears were flowing down her face like a river, and she was smiling, no longer locked in her glazed over tunnel vision. She turned her head and met my eyes.

I looked at Jack, and I watched his eyes dart back and forth from Mekiah to me and back to her. His hands were covering his face, and I could see his huge, gorgeous blue eyes swimming in tears.

I looked back at Mekiah, and she smiled as a single tear escaped her eye.

"Thank you, Mark..." she whispered, and wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly.


	29. Book of Demons

"Can you talk? Are you okay? What happened?" Jack asked quickly. Mekiah turned her head to him and nodded. "I'm better now."

"What was that... what did you do?" she asked me.  
"I dunno. I called my mom for help, and she told me to do that. What do you remember?"  
"Not much. I was playing Bloodborne when you two left, then I saw something out of the corner of my eye, near the kitchen. I got up to go see what it was. I saw..." she trailed off, her head looking toward the kitchen.

Jack placed his hand on her knee, and she looked back at him with wet eyes. "I saw Sarah. She was standing near the kitchen. She called out to me, and I went to her. She was holding her hand out to me, and I reached my hand to touch hers. As soon as our fingers met, my head started swimming and swirling, and I got really dizzy... I could hear what seemed like a million voices calling out to me, screaming to me, I could see hands reaching out to me, trying to touch me, grab me. I could hear Sarah calling my name, begging me to stay with her, pleading with me to find her, telling me she was still here." Mekiah dropped her head into her hands and started sobbing.

I looked at Jack, and he looked back at me.

"What do you think it means?" I asked Mekiah. "I mean, are your spidey senses tingling?" Jack elbowed me, telling me it was no time for jokes, but Mekiah giggled.

"Sarah use to call it spidey senses, too!" she smiled and sniffled, wiping her eyes. "But yes, something is... off. When Sarah died..." Mekiah trailed off, looking distant, then shook her head and snapped herself back. "When she died, I felt her go. I can't explain it, but I knew she was gone. The feeling was... hard... heavy... um, a solid, bricked up, permanent feeling, if that makes any sense. That's the only way I can describe it."

Jack looked at me, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Anyway, ever since that day, I have felt that heavy feeling, like a brick wall in my head. But as soon as I touched her hand, the feeling was gone." She looked at me intently.

"Was it her ghost?" Jack asked, and we both looked at him. "What you saw, I mean. Could it be her spirit?"

"Maybe... " Mekiah said, "but I don't think it was. I have had run-ins with plenty of spirits, and this didn't feel like one. It seemed more... dream-like. More psychic. Like she is somewhere else and left her body to come find me. She can d... uh... I mean she _use to_ be able to do that. I taught her how. Almost like a psychic telephone call. But the dead can't."

"Is it possible that she isn't dead?" I asked. They both looked at me in silence.  
"Mark," Jack said quietly, lowering his eyes, "we watched her die. We covered her cold corpse."  
"But," I said, raising my index finger in front of his face, "we aren't dealing with a human here." I stood up and walked to the little table that I set the Book of Angels on. "We are dealing with a being that has an immense deal of power."

I started thumbing through the book, looking for anything that could tell me if angels have the ability to give life to the dead. "JACK!" I said quickly and loudly, startling him. "Run upstairs and grab the Book of Demons."

He literally ran.

"OH! HEY! KIA!" Jack said when he ran back down the stairs, "I got me casts off! I can run again!" He bounced around the living room, smiling wildly and letting out a giggle. Mekiah started laughing and said "I see..." with a raised eyebrow.

Jack handed me the Book of Demons and brushed my fingers with his as we made the exchange. It sent an electric feeling through me, and I grabbed his hand and pulled him hard to my body, surprising him. His face was inches from mine, and his eyes grew wide with surprise. He laughed and said "you scared the shite out of me!" With a smile on my face, I smashed my mouth to his and kissed him deeply.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, GET A ROOM!" Mekiah yelled, laughing. I don't know what came over me, I just had to kiss him that very moment. I loved him so much, and I just had to feel him melt into me that fucking second. I pulled back, and looked at him. His eyes remained closed for a few seconds, and I chuckled when he opened them, looking almost drunk. "Sorry... I had to," was all I could say.

Jack cleared his throat, trying to recover from the surprise burst of affection. He shook his head a little, then said "okay, back to business. Let's see if we can find anything interesting or useful in these books."

I skimmed through the Book of Demons, then I shook my head. "Wait, I should be looking in the Angel book," I said, "There is stuff in it that you won't be able to read." I took the book from Jack's hand, then handed him the Demon book.

"What do you mean?" Mekiah asked me quickly.  
"My mom told me that my nephilim blood will allow me to read things in the Book of Angels that those without nephilitic blood can't see." I explained. "That's how I was able to soothe you and bring you out of your... state." She nodded and made a little 'ahhh' sound.

I started looking through the Book of Angels, and Jack was looking through the Book of Demons. I could hear Jack starting to breathe slightly faster, and he made a quiet 'uuuhhh' sound. He shifted uncomfortably, then said 'UUMMMM' a little louder. Then Jack, a lover of all books, a keeper and caretaker of ancient tomes, threw this rare and possibly only copy of the Book of Demons across the room and stood up, holding his hands out as if trying to defend himself.

I jumped up. "Jack? What happened? Did something you read freak you out?" I asked, figuring things written in a Book of Demons would be enough to freak anyone out.

"It wasn't what was already written that freaked me out, Babe. What freaked me out was the words and symbols that started to appear on the pages as I read..."


	30. The Nephilim and the Cambion

"Whathefuck is going on, Mark?!" Jack asked, visibly shaken. He had a terrified look in his eyes.

"It's okay, Jackaboy..." I said, rushing over to him and scooping him into my arms. I held him tightly and I felt him tremble. "What did you see?"

"I was reading a page, and my eyes got all wonky. I started seeing symbols and words form on the page beginning to form in a shining red color. The words printed on the page started moving to make room for the new ones." He looked into my eyes. "I have never seen that language before, but I could read it, like I have known it my whole life!"

I backed away from Jack, walking to the far side of the room, and I picked up the book. I started skimming through pages, trying to see if I could see anything that he described. The description he gave was exactly what I see when I read the Book of Angels.

I couldn't see anything in the Book of Demons except the printed black text and illustrations that were already on the pages. I picked up the Book of Angels and opened it. Immediately, words and symbols started to appear on the page in a shining blue color, and the printed text rolled and swirled around to make room for the new words.

A wave of dread washed over me. I knew what this was.

"Jack, was this the first time you looked at this book?" I asked. I couldn't remember if he had read it or not.  
"Yeeh. I held it, but the Angel book was the only one I actually opened." he told me.

"Mekiah, did you know I was a nephilim?" I asked her.  
"No," she replied, "I could tell there was something special about you both, but there was nothing pinpointing it. After I got to know you guys, I figured it was because you two were going to play a role in my and Sarah's life."

"I think I know what's happening. I have to go to the book store. You guys stay here." I said. Mekiah nodded, then went upstairs, mumbling something about researching angels on the internet.

I looked directly at Jack. I walked back over to him, grabbed a fist full of his hoodie and slammed his body back into the wall behind him. My face was just inches from his, my hand holding his hoodie tightly, my strong arm across his chest, pinning him to the wall, my eyes staring directly into his.

A terrified look washed over Jack's face, and he squeaked out a tiny noise. "Mark?"

I stared into his eyes for a moment, then I pressed my lips to his, my hand still grasping his hoodie, my arm still pinning him to the wall. I kissed him hard and deep, and I let my left hand drift to his neck. A low, deep growl rumbled in my throat. He returned my affection by deepening our kiss. He grabbed handfuls of my T-shirt with both hands, and pulled me closer to him, and my fingers instinctively tightened around his throat.

I broke our kiss, and pressed my forehead into his. My hand was still clutching his throat, and I could feel the heat radiating off of his skin. His sapphire eyes were huge, and looking up at me, almost pleading with me not to stop.

I released the grip I had on his throat, and brought my lips to his ear. "This is not over yet, Jackaboy. I will finish this later..." I whispered, then backed away from him. Jack's mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but all that came out was a tiny squeak and heavy breaths, his chest heaving.

I grabbed my phone and walked out the door.

* * *

I drove to Morpheus' Dream and like usual, I went in through the back door. Tom and Lyric were both there. Tom didn't mind that Jack and I weren't spending much time at the store these days. Many of the weeks Jack was still in his casts were spent at the store, Jack pouring through the Rome collection faster than I had ever seen anyone catalogue books. We still went in to work, but Tom and Lyric knew we had bigger issues with Dark, and they were fine with us working a few days a week.

I knew what I needed, and I went to gather up any books we had about demons and demonic history. I took the books to the work station and started reading, skimming through pages and scribbling down anything I thought was relevant. Once I found what I was looking for, I put the books back, said goodbye to Tom and Lyric, and drove back home. 

* * *

"Jack? Kia? You guys here?" I yelled when I got home. Jack came bounding down the stairs and jumped onto my back, covering my neck with tiny kisses. I laughed and spun in a circle, trying to get him to quit.

"It tickles! Stahhhhp!" I giggled, swatting at Jack's butt as Mekiah came down the stairs.  
"My god, you two really need to get a life," she said, rolling her eyes. "I have never met two people so into each other!" she giggled.

"Okay, it's serious time," I said as Jack slid off of my back. We all sat down at the table, where both the Book of Angels and the Book of Demons were lying.

"I went to the store and did some digging, and I found something. I also had another conversation with my mom while I was driving." I let out a breath and ran my fingers through my hair. Jack was sitting across the table from me. I took his hands into mine.

"Jack..." I didn't know how to tell him what I learned. "When I learned that I was the descendant of an angel, it was definitely something to take in and process, but once it sunk in, I realized it didn't change anything, just as what I am going to tell you won't change anything."

Jack stared directly into my eyes. He took a breath and said, "what? You're gonna tell me I am the descendant of a demon? Big shocker there, Mark." He waved his hands in the air, pretending to be scared and rolled his eyes at me.

"You knew?" I said, looking confused.  
"Well, duh! I'm not stupid, Mark. If you can read the angel book and you are the descendant of an angel, then it stands to reason that since I can read the demon book, I am the descendant of a demon. What I don't know is what it is called, or how far back the bloodline goes."

"Cambion" I said.  
"Huh?" He looked at me with his brows scrunched.  
"The offspring of a demon and a human is a cambion. The genetic makeup and bloodline is called cambionotic." I said to him.

"So, let me get this straight. You..." Mekiah said, pointing at me, "are the descendant of an angel, and you..." she said, pointing at Jack, "are the descendant of a demon. And you are soulmates. And in love. And you are on a quest to destroy a demonic angel. Did I get all that right? Because, my god, this shit sounds NUTS!"

"Yep... pretty much," I said, taking Jack's hands back into mine. "But it changes nothing, right, Jackaboy?"  
"Right. We got this. We _soooo_ got this!" Jack said, smiling.

Jack was _soooo_ wrong. We _soooo_ didn't.

* * *

Mekiah told us she was going stir crazy, and wanted to get out of the house for a while. She asked us if we wanted to go catch a movie, but I wasn't in the mood to go out, and apparently Jack wasn't either, because we both said "nah, I'm good" in unison. We looked at each other and started laughing, then high fived each other.

Mekiah left, telling us she was probably going to go out after the movie, and for us not to wait up. As soon as she left, Jack pounced on me like a goddamn tiger, his teeth sinking deeply into my neck.

I instinctively let out a yelp, which was the reaction Jack was looking for. I was swatting at him and laughing, until the biting turned into sucking.

I sucked in a breath, and the moan I released sounded like a deep growl, which made Jack get even more aggressive. I could feel him leaving marks on my neck, marking me as his. He was being extra rough, as if learning of his demonic background let a primal animal out of a cage.

His fingers were digging into my back, and I could feel my breath quicken as his teeth sunk into my neck once again. All I could do was close my eyes and let out a half moan, half growl. Every sound that came out of me seemed like it was coming from somewhere deep within me, and my voice was growing deeper by the second.

Jack pushed his body harder into mine, making it hard to breathe. My chest was already heaving from his rough play, and it was hard to keep myself from tearing into his skin. He had control right now, and I loved every second of it.

I felt his hands move around my waist, then he pulled my shirt over my head, ripping it. He moved to my ear.

"I am going to tear you apart, _Nephilim_ ," Jack growled.

"I would love to see you try, _Cambion_ ," I growled back, as I ripped at the button of his jeans violently…


	31. Bloodlust

I pulled Jack's shirt from the back, and it pulled up and over his head. I heard the neck of the shirt tear as I ripped it from his body. We were still standing, and I pushed him up against the wall with good amount of force. My mouth went straight to his neck, biting him as hard as he was biting me.

I could feel his hands on my back, gripping my flesh, digging his nails into my skin, clawing at me.

I'm sure my neck and chest were a mess of bruises and bite marks, possibly some blood, but I didn't care. Both of us were in some kind of primal instinct mode, and a part of me really did want to tear him apart.

As I sunk my teeth in deeper, I felt my sharp teeth rip through Jack's soft skin, and I could taste Jack's blood on my lips. I pulled back and looked at him, smiling as I felt a drop of blood trickle down to the scruff on my chin. He looked at my stained mouth and kissed me deeply, licking the blood off of my top lip, and sucking the bottom one.

Jack's mouth was stained now as well, and he was loving every second of it. I grabbed both of his hands and held them above his head, pinning them to the wall with one hand. My other hand was now sliding down the front of his jeans, and I could feel how intensely hard he was. I could hear a small moan purr in his throat. I watched him as his eyes closed and his head fell back into the wall, exposing his gorgeous neck for me.

My teeth found his neck once more, and I could feel his body tense up as I sunk my teeth in again, breaking skin and allowing his bright red blood to trickle down to his collar bone, where I lapped it up. My bite made him cry out... "Fuck, _Angel_... "

I spun him around and pressed him back into the wall, my body pressing into his back. "I will devour you, _Demon_ ," I whispered in a low growl that made him suck in his breath. I still had his hands pinned above his head with one of mine, the other hand down the front of his jeans.

I heard him let out a deep growl that sounded like something from the fiery pits of hell. I let go of his hands, and as soon as I did, he spun around and took my face in his hands. He smashed his mouth to mine, and kissed me ravenously.

He pulled back and grabbed my hand. "C'mon," he said, pulling me up the stairs.

When we got into the bedroom, he slammed the door and locked it, something he never does. He came to me and pushed me back on the bed, then pounced on top and straddled me. Jack looked into my eyes and tilted his head a little, and I could see a glint in his eyes I had never seen before.

He grabbed me by the throat, and squeezed, just enough to send a shiver down my spine, then he released slightly, as not to cut off my air supply for too long. He kissed me again, hand still on my throat, both of us still tasting the blood mingling on our lips.

I could see the stream of blood that I drew from his neck trickling down his chest now. I moved my hand to his chest, trailing my fingers through the blood, smearing it onto his chest, then sucking it off my fingers. I grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him off of me, onto the bed next to me, then it was my turn to pounce.

I flipped my smol demon bean over with ease, then grabbed the waist of his already unbuttoned jeans and ripped them off of him. I told him to get on his knees, and I held him down by the back of his neck, pressing his face into the bed, and ordered him to stay there.

I tugged my own jeans off with one hand, the other still holding Jack's face to the bed by the back of his neck. He was growling like an animal, but not fighting me. I climbed back onto the bed, kneeling behind him. I leaned forward and reached my hand around his neck until I had him by the throat. I pulled him up so we were both kneeling, but upright. My chest was pressed into his back, and I'm sure he could feel my chest heaving, my breath on his neck and my hardness pressed into his ass.

"You have control for now, _Nephilim_ , but not for long," he growled, then laughed.

I reached back into the bedside table and grabbed the bottle of lube we kept there. No matter how rough we got, I didn't want to hurt him. Not _like that_.

I made my fingers slick, and I pushed him forward, my hand on the back of his neck, pressing his face into the bed again. I bent forward also, leaning over him. My chest was on his back again, and my mouth was right next to his ear. My free, slick hand reached down, and I growled into his ear as I pressed two fingers to his entrance.

I heard him make a low noise in his throat as I pushed in, my hand holding his head still. "You can't do anything except enjoy it, _Cambion_ ," I whispered to him, listening to his breathing intensify. I moved slowly at first, but I know exactly what my Jack loves, so I curved my fingers and began to quicken the pace.

I could hear him whimper, his body starting to move with my hand, and I readied a third finger, slowly pushing it in, listening to the sounds coming from him. He let out some primal growls and some soft moans, but I couldn't wait anymore when I heard him tell me, almost beg me, to fuck him.

It was like heaven every time, but this time was different. This time was primal, rough, new. I removed my fingers, and he made a low, disappointed noise.

The lust and need I felt was overwhelming. As I entered him, I had to hold back from crying out in pure pleasure. Holding back made me release more low growls and guttural sounds, and Jack replied with growls of his own. I leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "you like that, _Demon?_ I told you I would devour you..."

With every thrust I could feel myself growing closer, and hearing Jack mumbling, his face still pressed into the bed, was making it even worse. He was moving with me, and I could hear him panting, practically begging, " _Nephilim_... don't stop..."

I couldn't hold back. "Are you ready, _Demon?_ " I growled, my words deep and loud. "Yes... yes... _my Angel_..." Hearing those words sent me over the edge... and saying them had the same affect on Jack.

* * *

When Mekiah came home, Jack and I were cuddled up watching a movie in the living room. Mekiah practically screamed when she saw the state Jack and I were in.

"Holy shit!" she said, rushing over to us both. "Did Dark come back?"  
"Nope," I said, looking at Jack, both of us smiling.  
"There's something wrong with you two. Jesus Christ!" she said, throwing a pillow at us and shaking her head as she headed upstairs for the night.


	32. A Threat or a Promise?

"This is great, Mark. Thank you," Jack said to me, holding my hands in his from across the table. I decided to take him out to dinner, just the two of us. We needed some quiet, alone time. It seemed like there was no time we weren't either with someone or stressing about everything that was happening.

He smiled at me, his eyes crinkling the way they do. But he also looked... worried. Nervous. His leg was bouncing frantically.

"Is everything okay with you, Jack?" I asked him. He looked startled at the question. "Of course! Why would you ask me that?"

"You seem worried about something," I said quietly.  
Jack lowered his eyes.  
"Something _is_ bothering you," I said, my voice growing deeper the more quiet I tried to be. "I know you, Jackaboy. Better than anyone. What is it?" I looked right in his beautiful, sapphire eyes. "You can tell me, Baby."  
"It's just..." He trailed off, then said "It's nothing," then he smiled, but the smile faded as fast as it came.  
"I'm not going to press you to tell me, but after everything we have been through..." I squeezed his hands, "you know you can tell me anything."

"I know, Mark," He said, then sighed. "Okay, look. I have noticed some... _things_. Happening. To me."  
I let go of his hands, looked around and leaned in. "What kind of _things_?" I asked quietly.  
Jack looked around nervously. "I dunno..." he said, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Things," he whispered.

The waitress came over and set our drinks in front of us. She slipped a piece of paper under my glass, then touched my hand as she walked away.

"What was that about?" Jack asked, his eyebrows scrunched up, as I pulled the paper out from under the glass and looked at it. I chuckled lightly as I crumpled the paper then flicked it to the center of the table. Jack picked it up and opened it, then he made an expression I have never seen before. His eyes flashed a strange glint, and his fists clenched.

"Woah! Relax, killer," I said to him. "You know I don't go that way."  
 _"I'll fucking kill her!"_ he growled as he stood up. I watched his chair teeter, almost falling over, as he was scanning the room trying to find her.

"JACK!" I whisper-screamed. "SIT DOWN!" He had a bewildered look on his face, looked around, then sat down. He lowered his eyes, then put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Angel. I..." He trailed off, then his head snapped up and looked me in the eye. "This is what I meant when I said some things were happening to me. I can see myself doing things completely out of character. I haven't been thinking straight. My thoughts are... bad lately. Violent. Angry. Definitely unlike me."

"Okay, let's think this through. When did you first notice it?" I asked, becoming concerned.  
"Soon after the Book of Demons thing," he said.

Then the waitress walked up to our table.

I could almost feel Jack vibrating with rage. Before he could even take a breath, I said quickly, "my _boyfriend_ and I need some more time before we order. Please."

The waitress looked at Jack, then back at me, then back at Jack, who flashed her a nasty, sarcastic smile, and the look of realization washed over her face. She nodded silently and turned, and I could see her blushing hard as she walked away from our table.

"Happy now?" I said to him, and he smiled and bounced a little in his chair.  
"Yeeh. I'm sorry, Mark. I... can't help it," he said quietly.

* * *

A few days later, I came home from running some errands, and I walked in the house to find Jack curled up on the sofa, thumbing through some book on the history of angels. He looked up at me when I came in.

"Hey," he said. I smiled instantly.  
"Hey, you," I said, walking to him. I bent to him, placed my hand on his cheek and kissed him, trying to fill him with the immense love I felt for him at that moment. The way he kissed me back led me to believe that I succeeded in my task. I broke our kiss and looked at him. I sat down next to him.

"I want to give you something," I said to him, pulling a small box out of my pocket.  
"You... got me something?" He asked, seeming quite surprised and very amused. He smiled and clapped his hands lightly.

I handed him the box, and he opened it. "Mark... um..." He looked at me, eyes wide and mouth open, unsure of what to say. He pulled the platinum circle out of the box and stared at it.

"It's... just a promise ring," I said quietly, looking down. "Just a token to show that I am yours and you are mine, until the time comes when I can put a proper ring on your hand and make a proper promise to you."

I suddenly felt really nervous. I started stammering and stuttering my words. "I... uh... I mean, I have been thinking about this for a while now. I... umm... just didn't think the time was right until this Dark business was ove..."

My words were cut off by Jack's kiss. I could feel his hands in my hair and I could feel him smiling as he kissed me.

* * *

That night was rough for Jack. His dreams turned to nightmares, yet every time I woke him up when he was whimpering or when he cried out my name in fear, he couldn't remember what plagued his dreams. He remembered the fear, though.

"Mark, please... just hold me," he whispered, and I happily obliged.

He fell asleep once again, wrapped in my arms like always. But when he started making noise again, it wasn't nightmares.

I wasn't even sure it was my Jack.

I drifted off, my arms around him, holding him from behind, being the big spoon like always. My face was buried in his hair, and I could smell the shampoo he used just a few hours earlier.

The sounds coming from Jack woke me up. Sounds I never thought a human could make. It sounded like a deep growl, something straight out of a horror movie. I opened my eyes, thinking maybe I was dreaming, or hearing a movie playing in Mekiah's room.

But it wasn't.

Jack started talking, but it definitely didn't sound like Jack. The voice was deep, much deeper than Jack's. It was low at first, merely a whisper. It was the same phrase, and he was repeating it over and over again, getting louder each time.

"Veniam autem ego praevaluero, et occidam Angelus..."

"Jack?" I opened my eyes and propped myself up on my elbow.

 _"Veniam autem ego praevaluero, et occidam Angelus..."_

I shook him a little. "Hey... Jackaboy? Wake up... Please?" I was getting scared.

 _"VENIAM AUTEM EGO PRAEVALUERO, ET OCCIDAM ANGELUS!"_

"FUCK!" I said, sitting up and practically shouting now. I rolled him onto his back, looking down at him. "GODDAMMIT, JACK.. Please..." I begged.

 ** _"VENIAM AUTEM EGO PRAEVALUERO, ET OCCIDAM ANGELUS!"_**

Jack's eyes shot open, and he looked right at me, as if he were looking into my soul, his eyes blazing bright green, almost glowing.


	33. Sean

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" I screamed, scrambling to get away from him. I tried to get to the end of the bed, and I almost made it, until I felt his arm wrap around my throat, squeezing as he pulled me back. I could feel myself unable to breathe.

I could see everything going dark.

In one desperate attempt to stay conscious, I managed to suck in a small breath as he loosened his grip a little, and I heard a growl rise in his throat.

I opened my eyes and saw Dark standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing red, before I blacked out.

When I came to, it was dark. Really dark. I was unsure of where I was, and it took a moment before I remembered what happened. I tried to get up, but I couldn't move. I was restrained.

I tried to determine where I was. My hands felt around for something. Carpet beneath my fingers and toes. Something cold and hard behind my arms. I was in my bedroom. I was on the floor, tied to the bed frame. They were standing near the door.

I could see them, and I could hear them speaking, but they were very low and quiet. I had to listen very hard to hear what was being said. Both sets of eyes were glowing in the dark. I could see that clearly.

"…sten to me, _angel_ , I don't care what you say, you are not touching a hair on Mark's head. Do you understand me?" Jack growled. Even in this form, he still felt a need to protect me, although he himself just tried to hurt me.

Dark laughed. "Do you really think _you_ can stop me? You aren't even a pureblood! You aren't even a demi-demon! You only have traces of demon DNA! I should kill you where you stand, _abomination_!" Dark hissed.

"But you won't, because if you were going to, you would have done it by now. I have something you desperately need," Jack said to him, smiling. I could see his glowy, green eyes crinkle the way they do when he smiles, and it made my heart hurt.

"Oh, you think you have the answers, do you, _demon?_ Please, tell me, what is it that you think I need?" Dark asked in a condescending tone.

"A way Home," Jack hissed. 

* * *

I never thought I would see the day that Dark, the awful creature that killed my friend, tormented my mind, broke my soulmate's body and ruined my life, would just stroll out of my front door, walking out into the darkness. But that is exactly what happened.

Once he was gone, I could hear Jack walking toward me. The bedroom door was open, and soft light was falling into the room. When Jack got to me, he knelt down, reached behind him, and pulled out the knife I kept in my drawer.

I was immediately terrified. Jack looked at the blade, turning it over and over in his hand, the light glinting off of the shining blade. He smiled at his reflection in the blade, then snapped his green eyes to mine.

"J-Jack?" I whispered. I was trembling, trying to back away.  
He tilted his head a little. "Sean," he replied.  
"What?"  
"Sean. Please. That is my name, after all." He smiled. His hand quickly brought the blade straight down, then he reached around in one swift motion and cut the rope that tied my hands.

He started laughing, and punched my shoulder. "You should have seen the look on your face, Mark!"

I was so fucking confused.

Jack… err… _Sean_ backed up a little so I could stand up. I had no idea how to react, and he could see I was struggling to understand. I stood up, completely on guard, but Sean was relaxed. He sat on the bed.

"Questions, questions. I can tell you are full of questions," he said, green eyes glinting as he stared at me. I just stood there, looking at him.

"Okay, then, I will just talk." His voice was low and gravely, much deeper than normal. "I am still me… I mean him… Jack," he said, "Just… a little different."

"Think of me as like…" he stopped to think for a second, his fingers touching the stubble on his chin, "like someone with multiple personalities. See, reading the Book of Demons kind of woke something up in my DNA, as did the way we tore into each other the other night. I think it was the blood. If it was consuming Nephilim blood or having a Nephilim consume my own, I don't know." He looked deep in thought for a moment, a smile creeping onto his face as he remembered.

"I am still him, he is still me, but I am the Jack that Jack can not be." His eyes widened, and he got an amused look in his eyes as he laughed at his rhyme.

"You know," I said to him, relaxing a little, realizing he wasn't going to kill me, "I am still confused. Why Sean?"

"Sean is my birth name. A name that was given to me, but a name that is not really _him_ , you know?"

I felt a little hurt that Jack never told me his real name was Sean. I think he sensed that, and immediately explained.

"He was called Jack his whole life, so he never considered himself a Sean. He never felt the need to use it. He wasn't trying to keep it from you, ya know? But the name Sean has been in our family for generations, as has our cambionotic DNA, so it is an appropriate name for me." He explained.  
I nodded.

"Listen, Mark, I'm not gonna hurt you. I could _never_ hurt you," he reached out and touched my cheek.

"So why did you attack me? You fucking choked me out and tied me up!" I said, my voice sprinkled with anger.

"Because Dark was here. If I didn't grab you when I did, he would have. He was standing in the door when I woke up. And he was aiming to kill you, Mark." He pleaded with me. "I wanted him to believe that my 'Anti-Jack' side was plotting against you," he put his hand to the side of his mouth, like he was going to tell me a secret, and whispered "I'm not," then he winked at me.

"So what was with the Latin you were shouting?" I asked. "I know Latin, and I know that 'veniam autem ego praevaluero, et occidam Angelus' means 'I will come, I will prevail against him, and I will kill the angel'. You say I am safe with you, but how can I trust you when you say you're going to prevail and kill me?"

"Mark," Sean said, looking into my eyes and shaking his head, a crooked smile on his lips, "you are _not_ the only angel I have been dealing with."


	34. Jack of All Trades

Sean decided it would be best if he slept on the sofa, and although I would miss sleeping with Jack horribly, I agreed. He went downstairs and I climbed back into my bed.

I couldn't sleep.

I ended up on my phone looking through social media until the sun started coming up. Once it was fully light, I dragged ass downstairs to make some coffee. Sean... or Jack, I wasn't sure which, was breathing softly under a small blanket on the sofa. I started a pot of coffee and walked over to him.

I leaned down and brushed his green hair from his eyes and traced the scar on his forehead with my fingertip. His eyes opened when he felt my touch, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw their sapphire sparkle.

"Mark?" He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "What time is it?"  
"Early. Just after sunrise."  
"Why are you awake?" he asked, looking around. "And why did I sleep down here? I went to bed with you last night..."

"Y-you don't remember?" I was concerned now, because Sean said he knew everything Jack knows... Does Jack even know about Sean?  
"Remember what? I remember falling asleep in your arms, and having some nightmares that you helped me shake off..."

I sat down next to him, handing him a steaming cup of coffee. "Something happened last night, Jack," I said, showing him the bruises on my wrists from being tied up. He snatched my hands in his own and traced his fingers over the purplish bruises.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his head snapping up, his blue eyes connecting with mine, concern and worry dominating his face.  
"Yeah, I'm fine, but there is something you need to know," I inhaled a deep breath then blew it out. "You are the one that did this."  
"WHAT? Me? That's impossible!"  
"Well, it was you, but it wasn't. You were talking in your sleep, in Latin. You said 'I will come, I will prevail, I will kill the angel' or something to that effect. You kept repeating it over and over, and I was scared to death. When you opened your eyes, they were green... like, well, pretty much the same color as your hair. And they had a glow."

Jack just stared at me, his eyebrows scrunched together, not saying anything.

"But wait! There's more!" I said, doing my best Billy Mays voice. Jack chuckled halfheartedly. "I tried to run from you, but you grabbed me and put me in a headlock... until I passed out. I woke up tied to the bed frame and you were having a conversation with Dark. Just, you know, standing in our bedroom, all chill, just chatting, you know... no big deal," I said sarcastically.

I could feel my anger rising at the thought of missing another opportunity to kill Dark.

 _"You let him walk out of our house!"_ I hissed. I tried to hide my anger, I really did, but I knew I failed when Jack flinched. I closed my eyes for a second. "I'm... I'm sorry," I said, reaching my hand out and trailing my fingers down the back of his head and down his neck.

"I... I don't remember any of this, Mark!" he pleaded with me.  
"I believe you," I said. "It was like speaking to a totally different person. He said it was the cambionotic DNA, that reading the Book of Demons woke him up. He even gave me a name. Sean."

Jack's eyes widened. "T-that's my name," he said quietly, looking confused, "but I never told you that."

"I know. He told me."

"So, what now? I just have some demon inside of me that can come out any time? Man, that sucks ten dicks!" He stood up and ran up the stairs.

I let him go.

* * *

I finished my coffee while I listened to the shower running. I heard movement upstairs, and footsteps on the stairs. Mekiah stumbled into the kitchen and poured coffee. She yawned. "Mornin' Mark," she said, looking at me through sleepy eyes.

"We have a fresh, new problem," I told her, then I filled her in on what happened.

Jack came downstairs with dripping wet hair soon after I finished telling Mekiah about the events of last night. He got more coffee.

"Jack, c'mere," Mekiah said to him. He walked to where she was sitting at the table, and sat next to her. She was staring at him.  
"Mark told you already?"  
"Mhmm." She was staring into his eyes, smiling slightly, concentrating. She looked like she was looking for something. She put her hands on his head, at his temples.  
"Kia?" he asked, looking concerned.  
"Shhhhhh," was all she said. Her eyelids fluttered closed.

We all sat there in silence, Jack and I both just watching Mekiah. Jack's blue eyes found me, and he looked at me as if he were pleading with me to save him. "He can't," was her reply to the silent request.

When Mekiah finally removed her hands, she looked tired. She drank her slightly cold coffee in two quick gulps and slammed her mug on the table. "ANOTHER!" she yelled, and laughed. I grabbed her mug and got her more, as well as refilling my and Jack's cups.

When I brought the coffee back to the table, Mekiah was sitting patiently, waiting for me so she could reveal what she learned.

"So," she said, looking back and forth between Jack and I, "I was able to communicate with Sean." She took my hand in her right hand and Jack's in her left. "The first thing I need to tell you both is..." she looked back and forth again, "just relax."

"All humans have free will. All humans have the ability to love, to hate, to be peaceful, to be violent." She looked at Jack. "You are a lover, not a fighter. You have a peaceful soul. You are a gentle being. But..." Mekiah turned her focus to me. "He is human, well... mostly. And being human gives him the capacity to hate, to destroy, to kill."

She looked back to Jack. "This is a really weird thing to try to describe. Sean is the person you aren't, but the one you are capable of being."

I snapped my fingers when I remembered what Sean said. "Ooh! He said something like that to me last night! His exact words were 'I am still him, he is still me, but I am the Jack that Jack can not be'!"

"That's surprisingly accurate!" Mekiah said, laughing. "What I need you both to know is that something has to trigger Sean for him to come out. He won't just make a surprise appearance at Sunday dinner."

"I was able to see his memories, and Mark, you need to know that Sean really had no intention of hurting you. He started speaking that Latin phrase when he sensed Dark in the house. Everything he said was true. Dark would have killed you if you stepped foot off of that bed, Mark." She looked directly in my eyes as she said it. "He was protecting you, even if he is a demon."

Jack spoke up, "How much of a demon am I... errr... is he? How can this even happen? And can Mark's 'inner angel' make an appearance?"

"That I don't know," Mekiah said. "This is all very new to me. It's almost like a really cool video game. I don't know what will happen it until it happens, and only then can I go back and see the hidden lore and scattered easter eggs." She sighed. "I can read humans, I can see past, present and future. And I can see that with you two, I just can't see what will happen with your angel and demon 'cut scenes'." She started mumbling to herself _'maybe that explains the chunks of time I miss when I try to see...'_ "

She snapped herself out of her own thoughts. "The main thing to remember is that although Sean is basically a personality brought out by Jack's demon DNA, he is not an evil thing. He is not a full-on demon, but more like a personality, driven by fragments of demon DNA. There is no need to fear him, unless you piss him off..." she trailed off, looking directly at me.


	35. I Love You for Always

We spent the rest of the day just trying to wrap our heads around the idea of what was happening.

I had an idea.

Ever since the day we met Mekiah, the book was in the lock box, locked in the trunk of my car. Jack was on his laptop, and he was really busy from the look of it. He had about twelve tabs open, and his eyes were glued to the screen, darting back and forth, reading and making notes in his little notebook.

I opened the front door. "Where ya going, Babe?" he asked, looking up from the glowing screen. "Just grabbing something from the car," I said, then blew him a kiss which he pretended to catch, then smacked his heart and smiled.

I opened the trunk and took out the lock box, wrapped it in my hoodie, then slammed the trunk closed. When I came back in, Jack had his face in his laptop again, paying me no mind. I went to the stairs and ran up, going into our bedroom and locking the door.

I opened the lock box and took the book out. It seemed like ages since I even held the book, this ancient, tiny, supernatural, life changing book. I slid my fingers over the lock, and I heard the _snick_ , a sound that was not unfamiliar to me.

There were no flickering lights, no fluttering pages, no glowing text. Just... a book. I flipped through it, looking for anything that would catch my eye. This book was _the_ culmination of summoning an angel, after all. If anyone could find something of use in it, it would be me.

Two things stood out to me. One was that I actually found a way to send Dark back to wherever it was he came from, and the other was...

"Mark? Open the door, Markimoo..." Jack was knocking. Shit. I couldn't let him know I had the book. I tossed it under the bed, then went and opened the door. I tried to look casual. " Heyyyyy... Jack! What's up?"

"What were you doing?" he asked me, looking around.  
"Me? Nothing?"  
"Why was the door locked?"  
"I was... ummm... looking up... porn...?"  
"Your phone is downstairs, idiot. Really? What are you up to?" He started pushing past me to get into the bedroom.  
"Jack..." I really didn't want him to find the book.

He was all the way in the bedroom now, looking around. He sighed and flopped himself on the bed, his arms above his head on the pillow. "What do you think is going to happen to us? I mean, the whole angel demon thing? Will this ever just go away so we can enjoy life together?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," I said, sitting down next to him. His hand reached down around my waist. I brushed his hair out of his eyes and traced his scar. Goddamn that scar was so sexy. I watched his eyes half close when I did it.

"Did I ever tell you that dudes dig scars, too?" I asked, turning around and laying down next to him.  
"Once or twice," he said, smiling at me. He reached over and ran his fingers through my messy red hair, then down the side of my face. Feeling him touch me so softly sent a chill down my spine. I leaned over and brushed my lips on his, letting them linger for a second.

I moved a little lower and trailed tiny kisses along his jawline, and he turned his head, allowing me to move to his neck easier. Jack let out a little moan when I hit that sweet spot on his neck. I could feel his body shiver, like he got a chill from it.

"Mark..." he let out a tiny whisper, and I loved hearing him say my name. He was so perfect, so sweet, so small. We fit so perfectly together.

I brought my head back and just looked at him. He opened his eyes and saw me looking at him. He smiled. "What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how perfect you are for me," I said, taking his hand in mine and entwining our fingers. He smiled at me, his beautiful blue eyes crinkling around the edges the way they do. His other hand curled around the back of my neck, and he pulled me close.

I stopped short, my face inches from his. His eyes closed, and I fell in the rest of the way, parting my lips and kissing him sweetly. I wanted nothing hard, nothing rough. I just wanted to feel the softness of my Jack, to absorb the heat and intense emotion that was radiating off of him.

"I love you... so much," I whispered.  
"And I love you. For always."


	36. Is This the End?

We went downstairs after laying in bed for a cuddle session. We decided to play some video games and just hang out together for the rest of the day and that night. We wanted some normal, average, run of the mill couple time. Time to not have to think about angels or demons or dead friends. Time to relax and not have to watch over shoulders or research in books.

I went to the kitchen to get some snacks and drinks, and Jack headed in to pick some games for us to play. Mekiah told us that she was going to take a ride to the farmhouse, just to check on things and make sure the place was still standing. She would sleep there and be back in the morning.

We said our goodbyes, both hugged her, and she walked out the door. She stopped and turned back to us, a worried look on her face, and said "call me if anything happens. Do you guys hear me? _Anything_."

Whenever she looks or sounds like that, I automatically go on guard.

"Kia, is something gonna happen?" Jack said, as if he were reading my thoughts.  
"I... don't know. I can't tell, and that's what's making me worry."

* * *

We stood on the porch and watched her drive away. Once she was gone, we went back inside and sat down to play some Outlast.

A few weeks ago we upgraded the gaming area, adding another flatscreen TV and another Xbox One, PS4 and WiiU. Jack and I sat side by side, and we both loaded up Outlast on each of our consoles.

"Tell me again, why are we playing horror games? Haven't we had enough fear?" Jack asked me as he shoved a cookie in his mouth.  
"Because I love how you sound when you get scared. Your accent gets thicker," I said, and winked at him.  
"You're an evil sonofabitch... for an angel," he said to me playfully, smiling and pushing my shoulder, making me sway a little.

"Well, you're too sweet... for a demon!" I said back, ruffling his hair. He slapped my hand away playfully and chuckled. 

* * *

We played Outlast for a while, then some Super Mario Maker and just dicked around. God, we were having the best time. No worrying about Dark, no worrying about bloodlines, no worrying at all. We were screaming at our TVs, having silly arguments about who is the better player, who has better strategies, yelling some more, and laughing. A lot.

I was trying desperately to get through an insane difficult level in Super Mario Maker, when Jack jumped up and rushed to the front door. He locked it quickly. I paused my game, and followed behind him. I could hear that low, guttural pits-of-hell growl rise from Jack's throat, his face pressed firmly to the small window on the door.

"Jack...?" I said quietly, slowly walking up behind him.  
 _"Jackaboy has gone away, but demon Sean has come to play!"_ He growled, spinning around and gazing at me with glowing green eyes.

I instinctively took a step back. He took a step closer. "Mark... didn't I tell you there is no need to fear me?" Sean tilted his head. "I'm not here to hurt you. Yet."

I swallowed hard. _Yet? What the fuck did he mean by that?_

"Go get that fancy box, handsome," Sean said to me, "I smell a fallen angel that needs to die."

I ran up the stairs and grabbed the box, running down into the kitchen to get the key from the tiny box on the windowsill. I set the box on the counter and fumbled with the lid on the tiny box, dropping it. The box opened and I heard the key hit the floor with a _tink-tink_ sound. I dropped to my knees, searching desperately for the key, but I stopped when I came to a pair of black Vans. I looked up.

Sean was standing above me, looking down. "On your knees, at the feet of a demon... as every good angel should be," he hissed, laughing slowly. A shiver ran down my spine.

I spotted the tiny golden key and snatched it up. I reluctantly opened the box and took out the dagger and the small pouch that held the Qeres. I carefully opened the pouch and removed the small vial. I made a motion to open the lid, but Sean stopped me.

"Don't," he said, placing a hand on mine. "If you spill it... you could die." he looked at me with his green eyes glowing softly. They looked different than they did a minute ago. They seemed... less intense.

"Go upstairs to the bedroom. Lock the door. Call Mekiah. Stay out of sight." he said, then opened the vial of Qeres. He dipped the tip of the dagger into it, then looked back at me. **_"I SAID GO!"_** he growled, and the glow in his eyes started blazing.

I ran. I ran faster than I ever had. He scared the shit out of me.

I got to our bedroom and called Mekiah. I told her what happened, and she said she was on her way back. I knew it would be at least an hour before she got here, and I hoped I could hold out that long.

I was pacing the floor, when I heard some voices coming from downstairs. The voices got louder, they were shouting now. I could hear crashes, what sounded like a fight. Something shattered. And I stood there, by the door, listening. Like a fucking coward.

 _The book._

I remembered I shoved the book under the bed earlier, and I dropped to my belly and felt around. My fingers found the soft, warn leather of the book. I pulled it out and trailed my finger over the lock, which popped open instantly.

The book opened on its own, and pages fluttered, as if some unknown force were looking through the book for the page I needed. Once the pages stopped, I looked. I read. I didn't want to, but something was almost forcing me... and I read out loud.

In an instant I was on my knees, and I could feel something happening inside my body and inside my mind. There was a whooshing sound, and I could see things scattering around my bedroom. I could feel wind in my hair. I felt a soft, steady heat rising from my belly, spreading through my entire body. I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands. I could feel a scream rise in my throat, then in an instant, everything went black.

* * *

I wasn't out long. I could still hear Dark and Sean struggling downstairs. I stood up, and I felt okay. Better than okay, actually. I felt strong, powerful. _What happened to me?_

I turned and looked in the mirror, and I gasped at the image that stared back at me. It was me, but not me. _My inner angel?_ I thought. _It must be._ My eyes. They were...

I ran down the stairs. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The house was in shambles. Sean was bleeding, holding the dagger, crouched in front of Dark in an attacking stance. Dark was positioned the same way, but he had no weapon. Sean's eyes were blazing with rage.

I was positioned in a way that Dark couldn't see me but Sean could. I saw him hesitate for just a second, enough for him to recognize that I wasn't just Mark anymore, then his focus was back on Dark. I saw him give a slight nod, and I took that as my que. I ran to Dark, flanking him. I wrapped my arms around his body from behind, and Sean took the opportunity he was given. He let out a deafening roar as he lunged forward, driving the poisoned dagger straight through Dark's heart.

Everything went silent. I could hear small sounds coming from Dark, and his struggle to breathe. I let go of him, and he dropped to his knees. His eyes never left Sean. I heard him release his last breath before he dropped to the floor. He was bleeding from his chest and his back.

His back?  
His. _Back..._  
 _His._  
 _Back._

I looked at Sean, then looked down, my mouth opening. A tiny bloom of blood appeared on my T-shirt, and it started to spread. I touched the blood, then looked at my fingers.

I looked back up at Sean. He was looking into my glowing eyes.  
He was smiling.


	37. But No One Came

"Jack..." I said, I pleaded, looking into Sean's eyes. "Please... let him come back..." I could feel a slight sweat start to bead on my forehead. I felt dizzy.

Sean stood before me, just staring at me.

I dropped to my knees, and I put my head in my hands and started to sob. I could feel the poison coursing through my veins.

I looked up at Sean, staring directly into his eyes. "Jack... Baby... if you are in there, please... please fight him..."

I crawled to the sofa and pulled myself up. I looked back at Sean, who was still standing, staring at me, not moving.

"Jack..." I whispered. "Please..." Tears were streaming down my face. "I... need you to... hold me. If I'm gonna die... I want to die... in your arms..."

 _"I don't want to die_..." I sobbed. "Baby, _Jack,_ please..."

Nothing. Just Sean staring. Smirking.

" ** _JAAAAACK... PLEASE!"_** I screamed and sobbed, using every bit of energy I had left within me, "I... _need..._ you..." I could feel my breath slowing.

"Jac..."


	38. So This is Death?

Bright light. I could hardly open my eyes. But I could open my eyes. Was I not dead?

I had to fight against the bright, searing white light to even crack my eyes a little. I took a breath. It hurt. I couldn't look around. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I didn't know where I was. So I laid there.

Waiting.

Listening.

Nothing.

Silence.

Maybe I _was_ dead. Is this what death is? An eternity of blinding, paralyzingly still silence?

No.

I hear something.

Voices.

 _Jack._


	39. The End or the Beginning?

_This is a very intense chapter, and it will be the last one._

As an author's request, I am asking you to listen to the song Undertale from the Undertale soundtrack in a different tab  
as you read (I tried to link it, but I either did something wrong, or the link editor is broken). You can find it by going to YouTube and searching **Undertale Song Undertale** , or by copying this and pasting it into YouTube.

watch?v=2OqigCz2S1w

Listening to this will add SO MUCH depth to the chapter. I was listening to it as I wrote the chapter.

I have never asked readers to listen to a song before, but I am asking for this one, which is the end of the story.

Thank you all for reading this story. You are all amazing. Stay beautiful.

~Azaarus

* * *

I definitely heard Jack. Oh, sweet relief washed over me like rain on a summer's day.

Now, all I had to do was get him to know I was awake. I tried to speak, but no words would come. I tried to move, but nothing on my body worked. I tried to open my eyes. That blinding white light again forced my eyes to stay closed.

I heard footsteps. Voices. Someone other than Jack. A female.

Mekiah.

They were getting closer! Were they coming in here? _Please, God, please let them come in here._

I heard the door open, and I heard them come in. I felt someone sit next to me. A bed? Was I laying on a bed? I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't. I tried to talk, to scream, to move, but I couldn't.

I could smell something comforting and familiar. Jack. My Jackaboy. He was there, he was sitting next to me. I wanted so badly to hold him, to reach out to him, to talk to him, just to look at him. But I couldn't.

I heard the sounds of water, dripping sounds. Wringing sounds. More dripping sounds. I felt his hand brush my hair back. I felt something cold and wet on my forehead, and I heard Jack talking again.

I could feel Jack's hand on my forehead. I heard him sigh. He sounded so sad. _No, Jack! Please don't be sad! I'm here! Please!_

"Kia, he is burning up! We should take him to a hospital..." I heard him say with a worried tone.

"And tell them what, exactly? Here is an angel that got poisoned with Qeres, fix him?" She snapped.

"I'm just worried..." I felt Jack take the cloth off of my forehead and the sounds of water dripping again. The cool cloth felt amazing when he placed it back on my forehead.

Then silence.

Mekiah spoke after what seemed like hours. "I am going to go get a drink, do you want something?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

I heard her footsteps leave the room.

Jack sighed. "Mark... I know you can hear me... just like I could hear you when I was in my coma. Wake up, Mark. Please, Baby. Please just wake up. The dagger didn't go deep, Mark. It barely got you. That's why you didn't die. You are just really sick from the Qeres."

I felt him adjust himself on the bed. I felt him take the cloth off of my forehead. I felt his hand touch my forehead. I felt the promise ring I gave him when he laid his hand on my forehead. It felt cool and hard against his soft skin. I felt him brush my hair back again. I could sense that he was looking at me. Then I felt the best thing ever. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Oh, I wanted so badly to kiss him back! I felt his hand drift to my cheek, and he held it there as his lips lingered on mine.

I felt a tear fall from Jack's eye to my face.

He pulled back, and I felt him move, wiping his tears away, I imagine. I heard him let out a small chuckle as his fingers wiped his tear off of my face.

"Sorry, Mark. I... don't mean to cry. I can't help it." I heard him inhale a breath. "This must be my payback. Now I know what you felt when I was in the hospital." He let out a halfhearted laugh. "After everything we have been through, all the torment, the broken bones, the blood... this is by far the hardest thing I have had to endure." His voice cracked, and he whispered "please... Mark... Please don't die."

 _Oh, Jack! baby please don't cry! I'm here!_ I was screaming in my head, but nothing was coming out! I tried with everything I had in me to open my eyes, to open my mouth, to make a sound, to move a finger, but I couldn't. This was pure hell!

 _"I'm so sorry, Mark!"_ He was sobbing now. _"I couldn't fight him! I could hear you, Baby! I really could! He was so strong! I fought him!"_ He sobbed and pleaded, _"Mark! Baby, I couldn't get out! I couldn't... I tried! I heard you tell me to fight him!"_ His sobs were getting louder. _"I fought... but he was just too strong! I was watching... everything. I... I'm so fucking sorry..."_

Then I felt his body cover mine. I felt him bury his face into my neck, I felt his warm tears, I felt his warm breath, I felt his arms wrap around me. I felt his body hitch with every whimper.

I felt him.  
I felt _him.  
I felt HIM._

I focused on him. Jack. My love. My soulmate. My world. My everything.

I put every ounce of focus on him. I reached down deep, deeper than I ever had, and I drew from him. I could feel my soul, my entire being draw from his energy. I heard him gasp, as if he could feel it. I dug deeper. I focused on the intense love I felt for him. I focused on the intense love he felt for me.

I drew from him.

I drew from him.

And I drew from him.

I think he knew what I was doing, because I began to feel him focus on me. Then I started to feel a warm, heavy feeling. I felt him open himself to me. _That's it, Jackaboy. That's it._

My entire being absorbed what he gave me. I could feel our souls, our spirits, mingling together. He was healing me. His soul, his very being, was cradling me, wrapped around me, holding me, loving me. He was here, we were here.

We were here.  
We were here.  
We were here.

Together. We were here.

Jack let out a small whimper and pulled himself from me. I felt him collapse in exhaustion on the bed next to me. He started sobbing and he cried out my name... **_"MARK!"_**

And I whispered "Jack..."

* * *

The End


End file.
